News and Knowledge

OAR recently welcomed a new member to its Board of Directors. Tom Stanek is a proud member of the RUN FOR AUTISM team and father of a young adult son with Asperger Syndrome.

In 2003, he and his wife, Kathie, were looking for a reputable charity and found OAR. At the

time, their son, Matt, now 24, was in middle school, and the Staneks relied on the educators’ guides that are part of OAR’s Life Journey through Autism series. “OAR’s work in creating

practical guides for educators at that time was an unfulfilled need for parents and teachers alike. We found the guides extremely valuable in communicating with Matt’s teachers and felt that OAR was an organization that was addressing the immediate needs of parents, teachers, families, and those affected by autism.”

Since then, his whole family has become OAR supporters. He notes, “My wife and I have shared OAR’s guides with friends and family and have even participated in reviewing one or two. Within our local school districts, we have made teachers aware of OAR’s resources. I have run in the Chicago marathon three times as part of the RUN FOR AUTISM. In the 2012 marathon, my youngest daughter, Jessie, ran with me, and we raised money together. This year, my oldest daughter, Erin, is running for OAR.”

In fact, Jessie, who graduated from college this past June, recently wrapped up a summer internship at OAR, helping to create a new set of resources to provide information about the difficulties that siblings of children with autism deal with and guidance for how to resolve those difficulties.  You can read more about the “Autism Sibling Support” initiative in this month’s Resource Spotlight article.

Stanek’s goal in joining the board is to “pay forward the benefits our family has received from the work OAR is doing.” As a board member, he plans to put his computer experience to work for OAR, providing guidance and insight into OAR’s technology needs. Stanek says he would also like to bring greater awareness of OAR and its resources to the Midwest and work actively on fundraising.

Stanek is the president of APP Consulting, a national computer consulting firm based in Chicago. He and his family live in Crystal Lake, a Chicago suburb.