When my sister Aubrey was 2 years old she was diagnosed with one of the most severe cases of Autism that the Yale Child Studies Center had seen. It was 1990, and support for parents and families of children with Autism was limited. The doctor told my mother to put my sister in an institution and to start taking family vacations without her so that I wouldn't get attached to her. My parents both refused. 

25 unbelievable years later, my sister is a fully functioning adult who graduated from High School in my hometown without a classroom aid and now works part-time in my hometown. She has her driver's license, her own friends, and is one of the most loving and caring people that I know. There are good and bad days, but remembering how far she has come is an inspiration every day.

Unfortunately, support for adults with Autism is staggeringly difficult to find, and resources are difficult to come by. I hope that funding for adult studies and resources will continue to increase to better support the community of adults with Autism once they leave the school systems.

OAR focuses on applied research, and defines applied research as research that directly impacts the day-to-day quality of life of learners with autism. It entails the systematic investigation of variables associated with positive outcomes in such areas as education, communication, self care, social skills, employment, behavior, and adult and community living. OAR funds pilot studies and targeted research within specific modalities and issues affecting the autism community, primarily for studies whose outcomes offer new insights into the behavioral and social development of individuals with autism with an emphasis on communications, education, and vocational challenges.