At the beginning of a new year, January offers a natural moment to pause, reflect, and look ahead. For OAR, 2025 was a year of continued growth, learning, and connection across the autism community. Throughout the year, we advanced our mission to apply research to the challenges of autism by expanding resources, strengthening partnerships, and deepening our engagement with autistic individuals, families, educators, and professionals.
In May, we launched the AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit. This project, in collaboration with the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE), aims to enhance healthcare access and quality for adults on the spectrum. Within the toolkit, users can create a personalized accommodation report to share with healthcare providers, helping to improve communication and care experiences.
OAR Impact Day: From Research to Reality in September showcased key outcomes from more than 20 years of OAR-funded research focused on improving quality of life for autistic individuals and their supporters. Researchers shared how OAR’s early pilot shaped their careers, advanced their work, and informed the real-world applications we see today.
This year also saw the first Self-Advocate Advisory Council webinar, Driving Forward: Living Your Best Life as an Autistic Adult. This panel discussion featured five autistic speakers who explored topics such as resource disparities, independence vs. interdependence, and strategies for moving from surviving to thriving as an autistic adult.
These initiatives took place alongside our ongoing work to fund new research and provide free, high-quality resources to the autism community. Together, they reinforce an important truth that meaningful impact happens when research, lived experience, and collaboration come together. Through this work, OAR continued to broaden our focus while remaining rooted in the values that have guided us since our founding in 2001.
As we turn our attention to 2026, we do so with both intention and excitement. This year will be one of momentum as we build on the foundation laid in 2025 and continue to respond to emerging needs across the autism community. In the year ahead, OAR plans to:
Beyond individual programs and projects, OAR remains committed to creating space for conversation and learning through platforms like our website, blog, and newsletter. These channels enable us to explore timely topics, highlight diverse experiences, and share knowledge that may not yet be reflected in formal resources, ensuring our community remains informed and connected.
This year also marks an important milestone for OAR. We recently celebrated our 24th anniversary and are now entering our 25th year of service to the autism community. A quarter century of impact is something we approach with both humility and pride. Over the next year, leading up to December 2026, we will be marking this milestone with reflections, special initiatives, and a few surprises to celebrate how far we’ve come and where we’re going next. These efforts will not only honor OAR’s past but also reaffirm our commitment to the work ahead and the community we serve.
As we reflect on the journey that has brought us here, we realize OAR’s strength has always come from the people who make up this community. Whether you are a parent, self-advocate, professional, researcher, or supporter, your experiences and perspectives shape our mission and guide our direction.
We invite you to continue this journey with us. Together, we will build on decades of progress, embrace new opportunities, and remain strong in our commitment to apply research to real-world challenges so the autism community can thrive, now and in the years to come.
Kristen Essex is OAR’s executive director. She has been with OAR since 2015 and became the executive director in 2022.
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