Next month, OAR will award an all-time high of 50 scholarships to students with autism pursuing higher education, an increase of 11 over last year. This year’s awards have been made possible through the continued generosity of the Lisa Higgins Hussman Foundation, increased support from the Schwallie Family Foundation, and the amazing efforts of a…
At its 40th annual meeting on May 30, the officers and Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Northern Virginia awarded the Eleanor Sue Finkelstein Award for Special Needs to Naina Chernoff, a Hire Autism associate as well as long-time OAR supporter and volunteer. The Eleanor Sue Finkelstein Award for Special Needs…
On April 21, Theresa and Christopher Waddell once again opened their home for the ninth annual Casino Night fundraiser. In addition to the fun and games enjoyed by all in attendance, the event raised more than $9,000 for OAR programs. Linda Campanelli and Richard Gonzales, Naina and Steven Chernoff, Joan and Harry Piccariello, and Shannon…
Earlier this year, OAR set outreach goals for the month of April to spread awareness, take action, and increase acceptance of persons with autism. As of the end of Autism Awareness Month, this is what we accomplished with your help. Goal 1: Educate youth about their peers with autism. OAR’s goal for April was to…
OAR is accepting applications for the 2018 OAR Scholarship Program through Monday, May 7 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants can apply to either the Schwallie Family Scholarship or the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship. Each offers one-time $3,000 scholarships to students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (DSM-IV or 5 criteria) pursuing full-time post-secondary, undergraduate education in the United…
Bess Bloomer and Keygan Miller are wrapping up their OAR internships in early May. Miller is in the first year of a master’s program in education policy at George Washington University. Bloomer, who spent her freshman year at Denison University and will attend the University of Maryland, College Park in the fall, is majoring in psychology…
OAR is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2018 Graduate Research Grants. The program awards up to $1,000 to master’s students and $2,000 to those in doctoral programs to conduct research related to autism. This year, OAR awarded 11 grants totaling $21,000, including four grants to student researchers in Canada, Israel, and South Africa. These…
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,…
Since October, Hire Autism has helped 17 individuals find meaningful work in a variety of positions. In addition to the registration processes for jobseekers and employers, the website features links to many autism-friendly employers and an average of 25 available jobs listed weekly. After wrapping up its demonstration phase this summer, Hire Autism will expand…
Thanks to the collective support of donors, volunteers, runners, educators, and autism professionals like you, OAR is excited to announce that it has already exceeded many of its campaign goals for April 2018. Here is a recap of this year’s objectives and what we have achieved so far: At the beginning of the year, we…
