One of the scariest times for a parent is when their child goes to college. If you are the parent of a child with autism or other disability, this time becomes even scarier. Parents who have been advocating for their child for several years through events like IEP meetings and therapist appointments are suddenly told,…
OAR takes great pleasure in announcing the 2019 recipients of the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship and Schwallie Family Scholarship. The two scholarships attracted over 700 applicants and the 38 awards total $114,000. With these additional scholarships, OAR has surpassed the $1 million mark, awarding a total financial contribution of more than $1,068,000 to 356 students…
OAR is hosting a free webinar that addresses problem behavior using a successful team approach on Monday, August 12, 2019 at 1 p.m. ET, featuring Jane Barbin, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA. Register now or share information about the live, hour-long event, which will include the presentation followed by a brief Q&A session. Parents, other caregivers, clinicians, therapists, and…
Going to college is an exciting opportunity for students to defy expectations, discover new interests, live independently, and grow both academically and socially. All students that attend college deserve to have a safe and rewarding experience, including those with autism. OAR’s Finding Your Way: A College Guide for Students on the Spectrum was created to…
From May 1 to May 4, 2019, the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting convened in Montreal, Québec with the purpose of supporting aspiring researchers, showcasing autism studies that address the diverse needs of autism, and providing a space for researchers to discuss and collaborate on their research efforts. The four-day conference attracted…
OAR’s most recent webinar, “Social Skills for Adolescents and Adults with ASD: Finding Relevant Targets for Instruction, Using Instructional Strategies that Work, and Balancing Self-Determination with Skill-Building,” is available on OAR’s website. You can view the webinar video (which runs one hour and 15 minutes long) and access the handouts. Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA-D,…
This post originally appeared on The AWEnesty of Autism. It is re-posted here with permission. This post was created with the help of my 17 year old son Ryan, who is autistic. Thank you Ryan for offering your insight as you continue to take on a world that you struggle to understand and that struggles to understand you day…
Haley Moss, a Florida native who was first diagnosed with autism at the age of three, has passed the Florida bar exam and become a lawyer at age 24. As an Associated Press article notes, when she was diagnosed, her doctors thought she might never be able to work a minimum wage job or live…
In a crowded hall filled with laughing and chatting teenagers devouring pizza, one girl approached me shyly. “You know, I really didn’t want to come to this, but I’ve had so much fun today.” “This” was a self-determination conference, organized by and for students with disabilities in my school system. Starting a club about self-determination…
At the beginning of February, two members of Congress introduced the Autism CARES Act of 2019 (HR 1058). The bill would reauthorize federal research; expand funding for critical research, education, housing, and other programs; and ensure that people with autism who age out of critical assistance programs and enter adulthood are supported, according to an…
