Shanell Mouland, mother of a daughter on the spectrum, shares advice for preparing for the holiday season. It’s that time of year again. When the fragrant smells of holiday baking, the flickering lights of zealous holiday decorators and the anticipation of the big guy’s visit all come together to make for seriously painful sensory reactions…
Toys R Us stores are typically known for their aisles packed with excited noisy children and busy parents. Unfortunately, it is not an environment that welcomes a child with autism who is sensitive to sensory stimulation and chaotic environments, posing a dilemma for busy parents. Toys R Us stores across the United Kingdom came up…
OAR developed the Kit for Kids program to help teach elementary and middle school students to better understand and learn to accept their peers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The kit consists of a lesson plan, peer education booklet, classroom poster, and how-to tips for parents and teachers. We sat down with Dr. Jonathan Campbell…
Delaware families and teachers will be especially thankful this holiday season, as the Delaware General Assembly has consigned half a million dollars to pilot a statewide initiative expanding clinical and educational resources for individuals with autism. Last month, Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed into law Senate Bill #93, establishing an Interagency Committee on Autism (ICA)…
Any family’s trip to Disney World during the holidays is likely to require a lot of preparation. For a family with three children, two of whom have autism, it is extra challenging. This is how the mom in the family prepared: She packed a white pop-up Christmas tree, a spiral cone-like shape that assembled easily,…
Michael has profound autism, he is very “rain-man-ish.” In our family’s birth order, I am third and he is fourth of six. Michael and I have a very special relationship. When someone calls his group home asking for Michael, he knows it is usually our mother or me. He typically wants to talk for the…
Sometimes, families need a space to openly discuss with and learn from other families facing similar challenges. The OAR blog addresses this need by serving as a forum for self-advocates, parents, educators, and medical professionals to share information about autism. The blog is a collection of stories and personal insights that share resources and serve…
Autism advocacy groups across the country are celebrating after a decade-long battle with state legislatures now that the nation’s leading health care provider plans to insure coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) for individuals on the autism spectrum. Starting in January 2017, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) will be modifying its standardized benefits package to offer coverage of…
OAR takes great pleasure in announcing the 38 recipients of the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarships and Schwallie Family Scholarships for 2016. OAR awarded 20 Schwallie Family Scholarships and 18 Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarships to students attending four-year or two-colleges, vocational/technical schools, or co-operative life skills programs. Together, the two scholarships attracted 430 applicants and provided…
Deficits in speech, language, and communication are common in children with autism. The range of these challenges varies widely from failing to develop speech at all to having a large expressive vocabulary but not communicating effectively. While it is important to seek out the support of a speech-language pathologist, it is even more important to…
