For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), popular vacation destinations such as theme parks can be overwhelming and frightening. With summer fast approaching, parents who are looking for a destination that suits everyone in the family may find the perfect spot at the nation’s first autism-friendly theme park. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit entity behind Sesame…
“Lucas is not getting along with others in the class room.” “We need to observe his behavior.” “Is everything okay at home?” These are words a mother does not want to hear. Lucas was only in kindergarten when I heard those words. I had my own question for teachers, school specialists, and administrators: “What is…
Dr. Gerhardt, OAR’s founding Scientific Council chairman, gave a 45-minute presentation on the topic of transition planning, including a review of current national autism indicators; the definitions of quality of life; and the advantages of community-based instruction for targeting key skills in areas such as employment, transportation, extracurriculars, and communication. Of the 700 plus registrants,…
Parents know the challenges that come with advocating for their children with autism. One of the most important ways to support them is for parents to communicate regularly and clearly with school administrators to ensure that their child’s academic and social needs are being met to the fullest extent possible in the least restrictive environment.…
Research has long shown that parents of children with disabilities have additional stressors that can cause both physical and psychological tolls (Neece, et. al., 2012; Murphy, et. al., 2006; Kronenberger and Thompson, 1992). Parents of children with autism specifically often show similar declines of physical and psychological health while caring for their children (Miodrag &…
With her years of teaching experience, writer Amanda Ronan explores how the two distinct therapeutic approaches of art therapy and support dogs seem to have some interesting overlaps in the results produced with kids on the spectrum. This post was originally published on The Art of Autism. In my first years of teaching in the…
OAR is proud to announce that it will be offering its first free webinar featuring Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., executive director of the EPIC School in Paramus, N.J., on April 3 at 2 p.m. ET. The webinar, Identifying Critical Skills to Promote More Positive Outcomes in the Transition to Adulthood for Young Adults with ASD, will…
Autism Awareness Month is a perfect time to foster peer acceptance and inclusion in schools. Widespread misunderstanding of autism is a common issue in schools across the country, which can in turn lead to a host of larger discriminatory issues like social isolation and even bullying. Last April, OAR released the interactive learning program, Autism…
Remember when tolerance was thought to be social progress, even though it emanated a clear subtext of “Oh, wellllllll, if I haaaave to…”? At the time, we thought the concept of racial tolerance or religious tolerance was revolutionary. And before “acceptance” we had “awareness,” which too often could imply that “we wanted to make you…
