Adulthood brings increasing levels of independence, choice, and personal control. For students in special education, adulthood begins with what is known in the special education system as “transition” — when an individual leaves the K-12 education system. As it is for everyone beginning their adult lives, the transition period is marked by great potential —…
You did it. Congratulations! You made the choice to find a job. Whether you are looking for your first job or a new one, deciding to put yourself in front of employers via resumes and interviews is the hardest part of an arduous job search process. It takes a good amount of courage for anyone…
OAR recently welcomed nine new volunteers for the Hire Autism Navigator program. Congratulations to the new navigators who successfully completed their navigator training and will now be ready to work one-on-one with autistic job seekers! Our newest navigators are: Tina Arnoldi Brandan Balasingham Bryan Hurwitz Bridget Kunz Kathleen Mahoney Sylvia Musselman Maulik Sarin Jeff Smith …
Join OAR this fall for four live webinar events on autism in the workplace that will offer practical strategies, tools, and support plans for autistic adults, employers, parents, and professionals. The series will focus on topics such as disclosure, accommodations, inclusion, self-advocacy, and the transition from higher education to the workplace. Additionally, for the first time,…
Transitioning from college to the workforce is a difficult process for anyone, but there are even more challenges that come with it when you’re autistic. Even if you have a great educational background or an impressive resume, there are certain skills to be successful in the workplace that may not be intuitive to autistic people.…
The lights are too bright. The smell of the carpet is too strong. The white noise machine has the opposite effect. The particulars of a workplace environment can stress an autistic individual from a sensory perspective. It’s likely you’ve already been told that, and maybe you’ve even taken steps to reduce those impacts, or you…
Earlier this year, OAR laid out a set of ambitious goals to continue engaging community members in celebration of April’s Autism Acceptance Month. OAR staff worked with teachers, parents, clinicians, autistic individuals, employers, and researchers to support their local initiatives and increase autism acceptance. This recap describes what was accomplished in partnership with community supporters…
The Hire Autism Active for Autism 5k team, comprised of volunteers, supporters, and staff, came together in April to raise $3,804 for the Changing Lives Fund. OAR would like to extend a special thanks to team members Claudia Zacharias, Jeff Crawford, Brigit Parratore, Kayla Birdsall, Caitlin Schaefer, Amanda Rioux, Forrest Short, Alana Thomas, Julie Beeker,…
Maybe you’re looking for experience in your desired career field. Or maybe your parents said it’s time for you to pay for some things on your own. Or maybe you just want to make some money over the summer to open a savings account. Whatever the reason, searching for a job or internship can be…
Ten navigators and two regional ambassadors joined the Hire Autism team in April. By helping to refine resumes, cover letters, and interview skills, navigators play a vital role in equipping job seekers with the tools necessary to prepare them for the job search and meet their employment goals. Ambassadors use their personal experience and talents…
