Congratulations to Jade Brown, the recipient of OAR’s Fall 2022 Synchrony Tech Scholarship. The Synchrony Tech Scholarship supports autistic adults interested in pursuing or advancing their career in the tech sector by obtaining a technology-related certification. Scholarship award amounts depend on the technology-related certification program and range from $500 to $5,000. Brown will use her…
Since 2018, OAR has been pleased to offer free webinars for parents, autistics, educators, and professionals from the autism community. These archived webinars are an excellent way to gain expert information and get answers to your topical questions, with the flexibility to fit your demanding schedule. Check out these webinars discussing neurodiversity inclusion. Business Practices…
April has been designated as a month to celebrate and campaign for autism acceptance since the 1970s. As part of OAR’s April activities, we are hosting a four-part webinar series on the themes of sexuality and relationships. Conversations about sexuality and relationships are needed just as much in the autistic community as they are in…
OAR’s 2023 Youth Art Contest is officially open for submissions. The theme for the third annual contest is “community.” We look forward to seeing what community looks like through the eyes of children and youth. This will be their opportunity to tell a story about community in as abstract or literal sense as they would…
In order to be an active participant in the transition planning process, your autistic teen needs to develop self-determination skills – the skills that enable individuals to speak up for what they want, what they’re interested in, and how they would like to accomplish it. Self-determination skills also allow individuals to have a strong understanding…
Twenty-one years ago, a group of parents and grandparents of autistic children founded OAR. Since then, our focus has primarily been on resources to support those families, educators, and other caregivers. As the autism community has grown and changed, so has OAR and the resources we offer the autistic community. In the past few years,…
It’s finally happening …You’re ready to move into your own home after months or maybe even years of planning. Having worked with many autistic young adults and their families over the years, I’m happy to share my ideas for making this important transition a smooth one. Moving to a new place, whether you will be…
If you have weighed the pros and cons of disclosing your disability in order to obtain approved accommodations through your college’s disability office, please refer to the general steps in the process below. There may be differences in the steps at your college, but these should reflect the general or common practices. Sample scripts are…
Disability Disclosure Many Autistic individuals are provided information during their time in high school or elsewhere that encourages them to disclose their disability across college, employment, and/or social realms. However, making the decision regarding whether to disclose your disability is a deeply personal one and a choice that is yours alone. Data suggests that only…
