Family vacations that involve a road trip can often excite more anxiety than anticipation. And that may be particularly true for families with a child who has autism. An inability to adapt to change and new things can make road trips harder for children with autism, but it doesn’t have to be that way. These…
The idea of ignoring dysfunctional behaviour was one of the hardest concepts I had to wrap my head around when I first entered the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis. I remember playing peek-a-boo with a client on my first day working in a clinic. When I paused the game to ask his instructor therapist a…
The transition from adolescence to young adulthood can create both anxiety and excitement for young people. For students with autism, anxiety may outweigh excitement as they may face greater challenges than their typical peers in attending college, navigating social situations, or figuring out a potential career path. To help reduce the stress and anxiety that…
OAR’s most recent webinar, “Social Skills for Adolescents and Adults with ASD: Finding Relevant Targets for Instruction, Using Instructional Strategies that Work, and Balancing Self-Determination with Skill-Building,” is available on OAR’s website. You can view the webinar video (which runs one hour and 15 minutes long) and access the handouts. Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA-D,…
Earlier this year, OAR set outreach goals for the month of April to spread awareness, take action, and increase acceptance of persons with autism. Here is an update on what we have accomplished as of the end of Autism Awareness Month. Goal 1: Educate youth about their peers with autism. OAR’s goal for April was…
Making friends and maintaining friendships can be a challenging task for any child. For children with autism, difficulties with social and communication skills can make the task exponentially more difficult. Add in time for appointments and therapies and it can seem impossible. Let me reassure you that it’s not. Through a team approach and some…
Thinking upon three autistics, my middle son (age 20), my adult partner, and myself, I came up with this list of eight suggestions for more effectively interacting with our loved ones, friends, and colleagues: Having predictability in my day. I do best when I know what to expect. I don’t like surprises of any sort; not…
OAR’s inaugural Active for Autism 5K and Kids Dash on April 14 in Alexandria, Va. raised over $15,000 for OAR. The top fundraiser, Sadia Heil, raised $1,000 while former OAR intern Kyleigh McGrail supported OAR through the Virtual 5K and raised over $250. The money raised will help OAR fund new research, award scholarships to…
OAR is accepting applications for the 2019 OAR Scholarship Program through Monday, May 6, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants can apply to either the Schwallie Family Scholarship or the Lisa Hussman Scholarship. Each offers $3,000 scholarships to students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (DSM-IV or 5 criteria) pursuing full-time post-secondary, undergraduate education in the…
