Self-Advocate Resources

A Guide for Transition to Adulthood

Adulthood represents a time in one’s life where there are increased levels of independence, choice, and personal control. These are all qualities that can and should be part of any autistic adult’s life. For many young autistic people and their families, the transition to adulthood is a daunting one, marked by significant changes in available services. Proper planning can ease this difficult transition, however, and ensure that all autistic individuals build the skills and establish the supports that will allow them to take advantage of all that adulthood has to offer.

Newly updated for 2021, OAR’s Life Journey Through Autism: A Guide for Transition to Adulthood (2nd ed.) provides an overview of the transition to adulthood process for parents who are traveling this path with their child for the first time.

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Sex Ed for Self-Advocates

Autistic people sometimes don’t have the chance to learn about sexuality and sex in ways that work for them, so OAR created this guide as a starting point to change that. In this nine-section of the guide, self-advocates will be able to read articles and watch brief videos before testing their knowledge about a given topic and practicing new skills.

There’s a lot to learn about these topics – more than we could fit in just this guide. You can use this information as a starting point for learning more about relationships and sexuality, keeping in mind that learning about sexuality and relationships is a lifelong process.

This guide is a sexuality and sex education resource written specifically for autistic people age 15 and up.

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Finding Your Way: A College Guide for Students on the Spectrum

Everyone deserves a fulfilling college experience, including students on the autism spectrum. OAR’s Finding Your Way: A College Guide for Students on the Spectrum is intended to help autistic students become better prepared for college life and academics. This guide addresses challenges that are both universal and unique to students on the college autism spectrum by providing information, guidance, and resources that address them. Finding Your Way offers practical advice from autism experts; powerful narratives from self-advocates; and relevant resource tools. It is intended to help readers anticipate and improve their academic and social situations by advocating for themselves.

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A Mental Health Guide for Autistic College Students

Every student experiences stress at some point during college. Created by a team led by Vanessa Bal, Ph.D. and Evan Kleiman, Ph.D. at Rutgers University, OAR’s A Mental Health Guide for Autistic College Students is intended to help autistic students promote their own well-being and know when and where to seek mental health services during college. The Mental Health Guide addresses challenges that may come up, as well as tips to promote well-being and cope with feeling overwhelmed. The guide also offers practical advice for navigating access to mental health care for autistic college students and their parents.

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Hire Autism

Finding jobs just got easier with Organization for Autism Research’s Hire Autism program! Hire Autism is a free program that aims to expand opportunities for autistic individuals and serve as a continuing resource for them in their workplaces by offering an active jobs board, personal mentorship, and free resources for autistic job seekers. Hire Autism supports job seekers through the entire process, from creating a resume to a final interview.

Visit Hire Autism Website View Employment Resources