Earlier this year, OAR laid out a set of ambitious goals to continue engaging community members in celebration of April’s Autism Acceptance Month. OAR staff worked with parents, educators, autism professionals, autistic individuals, and employers to support their local initiatives and increase autism acceptance. With the support of community partners like you, OAR promoted autism awareness and acceptance across the country.
OAR’s collection of Life Journey Through Autism guidebooks offers high-quality, research-based information for parents and caregivers navigating autism for the first time. These resources cover essential topics such as the transition to adulthood, the special education system, research, and safety.
Results: Between January and April, OAR exceeded its goal by distributing over 5,400 guidebooks to autism families across the country.
OAR’s Libby Library has been curated with more than 200 e-books and audiobooks about autism that users can access for free on their personal devices for leisure or educational reading. The library includes popular novels, autobiographies, guidebooks, clinical texts, kids’ books, and more, covering a wide range of topics that are critical to the autism community. Readers can also access OAR’s published works through the library.
Results: We surpassed our goal with more than 575 new users by the end of April. Of those, 362 borrowed at least one e-book or audiobook. In total, more than 1,000 resources were checked out during the campaign period.
Since 2017, OAR’s Hire Autism program has helped over 200 autistic job seekers secure meaningful employment and welcomed over 400 employer partners. In support of our mission this year, Hire Autism aimed to have employer partners in all 50 states and assist 48 to 60 job seekers to find employment.
Hire Autism also aimed to spread awareness and support the community by offering various educational opportunities about topics such as the job search, inclusive hiring practices, and more.
Results: From January to May of 2025, Hire Autism has helped seven autistic job seekers secure meaningful employment and welcomed nine new employer partners. Thanks to a new national employer, Hire Autism has reached its goal of having employer partners in all 50 states. Since January, Hire Autism presented educational opportunities to over 250 individuals, including a webinar hosted by CareerCircle on Inclusive Hiring Practices for Neurodiverse Talent.
OAR’s signature fundraising program, RUN FOR AUTISM, raises funds to support applied autism research that helps autistic individuals and their families improve their quality of life.
Results: RUN FOR AUTISM went over the top and raised $116,000 and engaging over 1,000 athletes during the month of April. The funds raised will go towards OAR’s mission to apply research to the challenges of autism.
OAR’s successes through our Autism Acceptance Month Campaign reveal the strength of the autism community and the dedication of OAR’s supporters. OAR once again thanks our fantastic community for all the work you do to increase autism acceptance year-round!
If you are looking to stay involved in any of the above initiatives, contact info@researchautism.org.
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