"The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) was created in December 2001–the product of the shared vision and unique life experiences of OAR’s seven founders. Led by these parents and grandparents of children and adults on the autism spectrum, OAR set out to use applied science to answer questions that parents, families, individuals with autism, teachers and caregivers confront daily. No other autism organization has this singular focus."
"OAR’s Scientific Council is comprised of 14 leading autism and medical professionals [including Behavior Analysts] serving as an expert information resource for all OAR matters concerning issues of research. In that regard, the Council assists OAR’s Board of Directors in developing its research strategy, near term priorities, and long-range research objectives. The Council also provides program guidance and oversight for OAR´s research competition and plays a central role in ensuring the highest quality reviews for prospective OAR research proposals."
Some headlines from this month's December 2009 OARacle
More than 1,000 People Meet to Advance the Future of Adults with Autism
"On November 13, 2009, the Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (AFAA) National Town Hall was held with the support and participation of OAR. For this, the first such meeting of its kind, more than 1,000 family members, professionals, adults on the spectrum, and community members gathered simultaneously, via live webcast, at 15 satellite locations across the country, as well as through an online virtual site...While many priorities were uncovered through the process, several rose to the top:
- In cross-cutting strategies, many felt it was essential to change funding streams so that financial assistance follows the person. In addition, accessibility to necessary supports should be ensured, and the availability of qualified and motivated personnel should be increased.
- Two housing strategies that met with overall approval were to support person-centered service models and expand both public and private funding for residential services.
- Regarding employment of individuals, attendees throughout the country felt the need for support, both during school years in the form of vocational skills training and through adulthood in the form of employment supports.
- When discussing community-life strategies, nearly all agreed that one priority is essential--the need for first responders to be educated about the behaviors that might arise when encountering individuals with autism in emergency/first-response situations.
A preliminary report, distributed to attendees that day, summarized the day’s activities, including conclusions drawn and demographic information..."FULL STORY
OAR President Presents to Autism Speaks’ Scientific Advisory Committee
"...On November 5, OAR President Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., along with Marsha Mailick Seltzer, Ph.D., met with the Autism Speaks Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to discuss the needs of adolescents and adults with autism at the SAC’s annual meeting held on the campus of the University of North Carolina...Dr. Gerhardt spoke about some of the factors that may impact effective transition in practice. Stressing that the poor outcome data are more a function of a significant systems failure than an actual failure of people with autism, Dr. Gerhardt noted that if transition planning is to be effective (at any age), it must incorporate intensive community–based instruction, direct attention to skills subsumed under the heading of adaptive behavior, and result in a significant degree of inclusion in the community where the person with autism lives..."FULL STORY
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Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG or SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org
Views and news expressed in this blog or by the PIBA SIG are those of the SIG or SIG members and do not represent official policy of ABA International or other official body. For official policy of the Association of Behavior Analysis International, the reader is directed to their website, http://www.abainternational.org
