Like starting a new chapter in a book, a new year brings anticipation of what we can expect. Starting the new year with resolutions sets us up for success and gives us a jumpstart on achieving our goals, whether those goals are to eat healthier, help an autistic loved one get a driver’s license, or…
“Put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others.” If you have flown on a plane, you likely have heard this safety phrase. It is a perfect metaphor for the importance of taking care of yourself in order to best help others. Mindfulness exercises have been empirically shown to directly and indirectly benefit parents of…
OAR is excited to announce that Synchrony has pledged $200,000 over the next two years to support the Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of Color and the Synchrony Tech Careers Scholarship. These two new scholarships will receive $50,000 each for their initial scholarships to be awarded in 2022. The Synchrony Scholarship for Autistic Students of…
During this time of year, it’s easy for us to get caught up in making multiple trips to retail stores and spending hours online shopping, stressing over finding the perfect gifts for everyone on our list. There is a popular quote from Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas: “It came without ribbons! It came without…
The series of free, educational videos is designed to support parents and caregivers tackling common emotional and behavioral topics to help children to stay organized, plan and reach their goals, be flexible thinkers, and regulate their feelings. Behavioral specialists call these skills executive functioning. By following the tips and skills in the videos, parents can help…
Winter holidays should be a time of celebration and joy for everyone. However, the holiday season brings hidden stresses for many autistic people. Changes in routines, sensory overload, and increased social demands are just a few of the challenges facing autistic children, teens, and adults during this time of year. Fortunately, many of these challenges…
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, many doctors and other providers adapted to a telehealth model to provide care. Even as in-person treatment options are again becoming widely available, telehealth still offers unique benefits for autistic children and their families when receiving medical care and/or autism services. Those benefits include: Increased access to care (including more…
“Do you remember the story about the Little Red Hen?” “Yes, I do.” “That story is why I want to learn to cook and want to learn to shop more. We can’t expect to eat if we don’t do our part. That’s a kid’s story but it’s really true for all of life.” “So true.…
Sometimes, it is necessary for us to fail. I believe that failure is just a symbol of not picking myself off the ground hard enough. My experience volunteering for autistic kids by teaching them chess went through a lot of ups-and-downs, but I stayed confident and invested in my vision for success. If you want…
By its very nature, Halloween is scary. Everything from the decorations, AMC’s listing of the top 100 horror films, the inflated price of candy, etc. But perhaps the scariest part of Halloween is trying to understand it through the eyes of our kids with autism. So how do we make this spooky night less of…
