Four Parents, Four Takes on Safety
Ready…Set…Plan! by Crystal Sanford Ready or not…here comes summer! It’s almost time for family vacations, dipping our toes in the sand or pool, and savoring late-night sunsets. But for some, summer doesn’t bring excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, for some parents of autistic children, summer only brings more anxiety and fear of the unknown. Autistic individuals…
Study Will Develop Behavioral Support Plan Series for Educators
In October 2024, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for six applied autism research grants and one autism resource grant. The new research grants total $338,844, bringing OAR’s total research funding to $5.3 million since 2002. This article is the fifth of the previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. Over half of autistic students display challenging…
Press Release: AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit Now Available on OAR’s Website
Arlington, VA, May 7, 2025 – In celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) is excited to launch the AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit on their website. The Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE) created the AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit as part of a project to help improve healthcare access and…
RFK, Jr., NIH, Prevalence Make Headlines in April
Collecting Autistic Peoples’ Health Records CBS News reported that on Friday, April 25, a Department of Health and Human Services official walked back an earlier National Institutes of Health (NIH) announcement that the health department is creating an autism registry. “We are not creating an autism registry. The real-world data platform will link existing datasets…
Meet Brittany Short, New Hire Autism Manager
Since starting at OAR in 2022 as a Hire Autism associate, Brittany Short has had “the privilege of engaging with passionate professionals committed to understanding and improving recruiting and workplace experiences for autistic and neurodivergent individuals.” Now that she has been promoted to Hire Autism manager, Short is excited to continue that conversation and “step…
2025 Active for Autism 5K and Kids Dash Biggest to Date
During Autism Acceptance Month, 520 virtual and in-person participants took on the annual Active for Autism 5K and Kids Dash to support autism research. Participants hailed from 28 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Canada, and ranged in age from 3 to 80. Together, they raised nearly $50,000 for OAR’s Changing Lives Fund. “The…
Support Autism All Year Long
Don’t stop now! Autism Acceptance Month is over but there are plenty of chances for you to stay involved or get involved. It matters. And it’s fun! Volunteer Are you a parent, educator, or autistic individual who: Is interested in teaching children about autism acceptance? Would enjoy distributing informational resources to organizations in your community…
Join OAR for Impact Day
Online Resources Available to Empower Neurodivergent Patients
Check out the Neuroinclusive Healthcare Education Hub, created by All Brains Belong VT to host online resources and lived experiences for the autistic community. Partially funded through the OAR and AIR-P Community Grant in 2022 and 2023, the Hub is a collection of online resources co-created by neurodivergent healthcare professionals and patients to educate medical…
