This week, our blog post gives insight on motherhood and parenting while on the autism spectrum as Lana Grant writes on the lack of knowledge of this possibility among medical professionals. Lana Grant’s blog was originally published on Spectrum Women. I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome in 2007 at the age of 38. I was already a mother…
The Alabama Senate has passed a bill (HB284) that will require many insurers to cover applied behavior analysis (ABA), the most common and scientifically supported treatment for autism. Currently, Alabama is one of five states that do not require insurance companies to cover behavioral autism therapy. After a 100-0 vote in favor of the bill…
On Monday, June 5, the bidding for wine and prizes during the annual Chairman’s Dinner was fast, furious, and nonstop. By the time the bidding stopped, the auction alone had brought in more than $80,000 and the proceeds for the evening totaled almost $160,000, setting a new high for this event. The Chairman’s Dinner is…
Problematic behavior, such as biting or hitting in response to unpleasant events, can emerge at different times in a child’s life, and is considered developmentally normal. The behavior often reduces to tolerable levels when caregivers express displeasure and redirect the child to respond more appropriately to the situation. However, in some children, the behavior can…
In October 2016, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for six new applied autism research studies in 2017. These new grants, totaling $178,866, bring OAR’s total research funding to over $3.6 million since 2002. This is the final of six previews featured in “The OARacle” this year. A quick Google search of “parental stress and…
As information consumers surfing the internet, we often find ourselves inundated with programs and treatments that claim to be effective, even when there is no scientific evidence behind the claims. Evidence-based practices (EBPs) on the other hand, are interventions that have been shown to be effective based on the scientific literature. So far, the National…
This article is an excerpt from OAR’s “Understanding Autism: Professional Development Curriculum.” For students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), temper tantrums may be triggered for a variety of reasons. Because many children with autism have difficulties communicating in socially acceptable ways, they may act out when they are confused, afraid, anxious, or stressed about something.…
In this week’s blog post, a teacher and mother to a son with autism discusses the power of play. This piece was originally published on Jessica’s blog, Changed for Good. Ben won a tiny toy shark from the treasure box at school the other day. As soon as we got home, he announced that he…
At age 67, Garret Mathews was diagnosed with Aspergers. In this piece, he writes about his relationship with this father through the framework of his Apergers. So what kind of a life did this Aspie have growing up? It was dominated by my late father, the high school football coach and perhaps the most authoritarian…
This post was originally published on Respectfully Connected and is re-posted here with permission. A lot of the messages parents and disabled advocates send to families are about helping us deal with our misplaced grief after a child has a diagnosis. Messages that encourage and challenge us to accept our children and find ways to work with their unique…
