In 2018, the Pew Research Center reported that social media has surpassed print newspapers as a source of news information in the United States, and more than two thirds of adults use Facebook. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, use algorithms to determine the content that is most likely to be of…
April has been designated as a month to celebrate and campaign for autism acceptance since the 1970s. As part of OAR’s April activities, we are hosting a four-part webinar series on the themes of sexuality and relationships. Conversations about sexuality and relationships are needed just as much in the autistic community as they are in…
Military duty often requires service members to be away from home for extended deployments for training or combat operations. Depending on your child, the immediate impact of such absences may vary from near-calamitous to barely noticeable. Nevertheless, there are some things you can do to help mitigate the effect, including: Create a “countdown calendar” with…
In November, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for eight applied autism research studies in 2023. These new grants, totaling $313,712, bring OAR’s total research funding to more than $4.7 million since 2002. This article is the second of eight previews to be featured in The OARacle this year. Unhealthy substance use, which includes alcohol, marijuana,…
As we celebrate the beginning of a new year, OAR is also looking ahead to the ambitious goals it has set for 2023, including goals for Autism Acceptance Month. Join us to promote autism awareness and acceptance across the autism community. Goal 1: Support the autism community with information resources (autistics, families, educators, professionals). OAR’s…
In January, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) approved a new strategic plan, as reported in Disability Scoop. The new plan provides recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding autism research, services, and supports, among others. In addition, it calls for a “substantial increase” in government funding for autism research to reach…
“How many more times are we going to watch the same Star Wars movie?” I asked my brother. I couldn’t believe he wanted to watch the same movie again. He had been fixated on Star Wars for the past two weeks and spent his free time rewatching the movies and reviewing the fan pages online.…
It has always been my biggest concern – where I should bring up my kid. Currently, my son benefits from the IEP, which most U.S. public schools provide under the IDEA Act. The IEP system was enormously impressive to me, not only as a parent but as a law student. It was surprising that IEP…
In order to be an active participant in the transition planning process, your autistic teen needs to develop self-determination skills – the skills that enable individuals to speak up for what they want, what they’re interested in, and how they would like to accomplish it. Self-determination skills also allow individuals to have a strong understanding…
Transition teams are critical to building effective plans for youth who are preparing to embark on their adult lives after high school. These teams are tasked with creating and implementing plans that best align with young adults’ goals, strengths, and interests. The transition process is meant to answer questions such as: What does the youth…
