In 2020, Sreenidi Bala, a teenager from Farmington, Connecticut, started a passion project that would change the lives of hundreds of autistic students. Four years later, Bala was named the Prudential Emerging Visionaries Employees’ Choice Award winner for her Code for All Minds initiative. The award came with $10,000 she can use to expand her…
With summer heat waves upon us and fall marathons on the horizon, RUN FOR AUTISM’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon team members have some tips for beating the heat while logging miles. Runners agree on two main pieces of advice: start early and hydrate. Aaron Siegel, NYC Marathon runner,…
Siblings of autistic individuals often face similar challenges and stressors, from childhood to adult roles as advocate and potentially caretaker. OAR’s autism sibling support resources provide information that can help. These resources are available online for free and two copies of each can be mailed free as well. Autism, My Sibling, and Me Tailored towards…
Being an older brother to someone with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a journey filled with unique challenges and profound rewards. To provide insight into our family and the perspective from which I write, I am the older brother of James, the younger brother of Jacob, and the son of Sherly and Tom. The middle…
In November, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for eight applied autism research studies in 2024. These new grants, totaling $297,569, bring OAR’s total research funding to more than $5 million since 2002. This article is sixth of eight previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. Autistic children are reported to be five…
Siblings of autistic individuals experience both benefits and challenges related to their sibling relationships. Benefits often include greater empathy, compassion, and resilience. Challenges can include parentification (i.e., acting in a parental role in childhood), struggling to plan for future caregiving, and responding to challenging behaviors. Parents often report worrying about the experiences and well-being of…
I had never considered raising money through my running. After all, I love to run. Why should anyone pay me to do it? I (mostly) don’t think of running as suffering, but as an activity that brings me joy, connection and satisfaction. The only reason I decided to fundraise is that I wanted to run…
This spring, OAR teamed up with several experts from its Scientific Council to deliver a three-part webinar series about autism education. This series included presentations on connection and community building, the development of confidence in mathematics, and wellbeing integration for teachers and students. Each webinar provided extensive information and practical strategies for special education teachers, self-advocates,…
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 Autism Housing Network (AHN) is an online hub that neuro-inclusive communities use to list housing, developer tools, and resources. A project of Madison House Autism Foundation, AHN seeks to normalize inclusion with varying partners across America to ensure that neurodiverse adults are supported and included in their homes and community. AHN empowers local communities across…
