Philosophy/Values
Values
To understand OAR is to understand the spirit
in which OAR operates. These principles underlie
everything OAR does. We provide this information as a statement of values
and a simple means of “getting
to know” OAR for anyone unfamiliar with the organization, its leadership,
volunteers and staff.
Mission: OAR’s mission is to apply research to the challenges of
autism.
The mission of “applying” research to answer questions of
daily concern for those living with autism drives each of the goals and
objectives that define OAR’s programs and determine its budget.
OAR’s 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. In this context, it extends
to issues related to family support, the efficacy of service delivery
systems, and demographic analyses of the autism community.
In simplest terms, applied autism research is “practical research
that examines issues and challenges that children and adults with autism
and their families face everyday.”
Research
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. The identification of priorities
for OAR’s research will be undertaken with focus groups comprised
of parents, educators, clinicians, and leading authorities whose life
work is the promotion of autism research and the dissemination of information
to the autism community. Our immediate task is the creation of an overall
strategy for research to address issues "across the lifespan." While
OAR´s scope encompasses applied and biomedical research, its emphasis
from the beginning is heavily weighted toward the applied. Read about
the research studies OAR funds.
Programs
OAR’s programs revolve around funding new research and disseminating
evidence-based information in a form that translates the technical into
layman’s terms for the non-scientific consumer. The current programs
are:
Goals
OAR sets challenging goals each year and has a growing record of
accomplishments. Here are OAR’s goals for
2013:
- Award 10 grants ($20,000) in the Graduate Research Grants Program on July 1, 2013
- Fund ten new research studies ($300,000 in total grants) through the annual competition - January 2014
- Conduct the 11th RUN FOR AUTISM with a goal of raising $1 million for autism research
- Disseminate evidence-based information through OAR’s annual
Conference on-the-Road Program, the Web site, resource guides, and monthly e-newsletter—Ongoing
monthly
- Award scholarships to 22 students with autism pursuing post-secondary college, vocational studies, or cooperative life skills programs.
Help us meet these goals and more by making a donation
now.
|
