According to “Business Insider,” Exceptional Minds in Sherman Oaks, Calif., is a “vocational school and animation studio that gives people with autism spectrum disorder a chance to learn animation and visual effects and put them to use in big-budget Hollywood films.” It started with a group of parents trying to figure out what would happen…
OAR welcomed its first Hire Autism intern, Nora Leibold, in mid-June for an internship that will last until the end of August. She will be updating the Hire Autism blog, developing new contacts for the Hire Autism portal, reaching out to applicants who have created Hire Autism accounts, and working on procedural guides. Leibold will be…
At age 67, Garret Mathews was diagnosed with Aspergers. In this post, he writes on the positive impact Asperger’s may have had on his career as a columnist. This post was originally published on Garret Matthews’ blog, An Aspie Comes Out of the Closet. Lost in some discussions on Asperger’s is dialogue about the plus…
With the presentation of a check for $250,000 to OAR late last month, the Lankler Family Foundation fulfilled $1 million pledge it made two years ago. The first installment included vital funds earmarked for OAR’s Hire Autism adult employment initiative. Thanks to that gift, the Hire Autism website is live, fully operational, and in its…
Just in time for Autism Awareness Month, OAR is pleased to announce that its Hire Autism jobs portal is now open in Northern Virginia, the location selected for the new jobs portal’s first test before being expanded nationwide. Hire Autism has 14 active job openings. Since late last year, OAR’s Hire Autism staff has reached out…
I am a 42-year-old woman with a diagnosis of autism and atypical schizophrenia. I am an author, blogger, radio show host, mentor, advocate, public speaker, and ambassador for many autism organizations in Australia. Last month I celebrated 10 years in a professional role in government administration. When I applied for my job, many people —…
The Somerset Hills Learning Institute, a New Jersey non-profit program for students with autism, recently launched its Center for Career Advancement with the aim of helping its adult students transition into potential careers. By hosting the Center on Three Meadows Farm, which the Institute recently purchased, students will have the opportunity to learn job skills…
If you are a young adult on the autism spectrum or the parent of one, you have likely heard about the “cliff.” It’s that moment when you are out of high school, not interested in college, but you know you can’t play video games all day every day anymore. All of a sudden, you know…
Lately, I have been reading The Loving Push by Drs. Debra Moore and Temple Grandin. As the father of a young man (age 26) with Asperger’s Syndrome, I wish this book had existed when my son was much younger. As parents, my wife and I have worked hard to move our son forward throughout his…
Like many young adults with autism, Cameron Graham’s opportunities to find a rewarding career were extremely limited. Her ability to contribute to her community was not. So her parents, Ellen and Jim Graham, jumped off a cliff. Not literally. Still, when you hear their story, you may think it’s about as close to the reality…
