OAR is excited to announce that Synchrony has pledged $200,000 over the next two years to support the Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color and the Synchrony Tech Careers Scholarship. These two new scholarships will receive $50,000 each for their initial scholarships to be awarded in 2022. The Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of…
In April 2021, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized a board-designated grant to fund a two-year project implementing that program at Empire. Led by Noor Syed, PhD, BCBA-D, assistant professor of applied behavior analysis and director of the Center for Autism Inclusivity, “Creating an Inclusive Institution through Multitiered Systems of Support” seeks to expand inclusivity and…
OAR takes great pleasure in announcing the recipients of the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship and Schwallie Family Scholarship for 2020. The two scholarships attracted over 600 applicants and the 33 awards total $103,000. With these additional scholarships, OAR has awarded a total financial contribution of more than $1,170,000 to 389 students with autism since the…
Due to the changes COVID-19 has wrought on the employment market, OAR has extended our Jobtimize pilot through the end of the 2020 in order to continue supporting job seekers during this challenging time. Job seekers can use the Jobtimize interest and skills assessment for free through Hire Autism. The Jobtimize assessment highlights a job…
“Transitions are not about what is probable but about what is possible.” This quote, slightly tweaked, comes from OAR’s Guide for Transition to Adulthood. It perfectly suits this August Perspective in which a small group of Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship winners and their parents describe how the post-secondary programs they attended are preparing them for…
If you find yourself needing extra help academically in college, whether with taking notes in class, writing a paper, or studying for a test, you might find assistive technologies useful. Assistive technologies include devices or programs that help people with challenges related to their disability. There are a wide range of assistive technologies available, some…
This blog post has been adapted from “Chapter 5: Postsecondary Education” of OAR’s resource “A Guide for Transition to Adulthood”. Although times are still uncertain, many students are making the decision this month to start college next year. Whether classes will be held online, delayed for a later start date, or resume as usual on…
Adults with autism often face high levels of unemployment because of their social and communication challenges. OAR created a new program that aims to help close the gap with virtual support from trained volunteers. C. Murphy, a college student from southeastern Virginia, recently landed the perfect part-time job thanks to the help of a Hire…
The definitions of friendships are as unique and varied as each of us are. For this month’s Perspective, we asked two recipients of OAR scholarships to describe their experience of friendship as new college students. Connor McNally: Taking an Asocial Stance I haven’t really made any friends in college, but since I’m asocial, that’s…
Many people with autism find comfort in structure, lists, and routines. Not me. I’m one of those people who absolutely cannot operate within such constraints. It’s one of the reasons I became a self-employed artist to begin with. However, some degree of goal setting and measurement is necessary to turn a talent into a successful…
