"The role of a teacher is to ignite a spark in a student’s mind, but you have to know what kind of spark you’re dealing with.” – Temple Grandin


Welcome to my fundraising page where I get to support autism research. Autism is a topic that is near and dear to us. I feel strongly that evidence based research goes towards support for those with autism and their family members.

Autism is a spectrum. It covers such a variety of gifts and challenges. What I know and have experienced is different than someone else's story and experience. But I will tell you that I know someone with autism who can be a poet. Someone with autism who can be an author. They can be a musician. They can be an artist or an engineer. They can be a comedian. They are a light in this world that gives us all a different perspective of how to see things. But our world is mostly meant for the neurotypical. Instead of teaching someone with autism how to live in our world, let's research so that we can support those with autism and get a glimpse into their curious minds that make the world a better place.

While there are things that we think of as "super powers" for those with autism, there are things that are hard, especially at a young age. Typically things like speaking, eye contact, social cues, loud noises, crowds, food textures, sleep, and regulating emotions can be hard to know and learn. But a psychologist once told me, "Things are going to be okay, we just need to give them the tools to fly." And this is where research comes in and where I will forever be grateful for science based interventions.

I'm running for our students who have autism in our community and all of the professionals who care so deeply for those with autism. You are loved. The staff in our local schools give our students voices to speak when they have no words, places to play where they feel cared for, an education that meets them where they are at, space to regulate when they feel dysregulated and the tools to continue to grow.

Every step I take is for the students who speak differently, move differently or see the world in a way we're still learning to understand. They can teach us more than we teach them and they deserve our best.

Thank you to the researchers who are researching how to best provide for those with autism. Thank you for researching how to help children with autism transition to college and the work force. Thank you for researching how to teach others about autism. Thank you for helping us understand how the brain is wired and is best cared for.

Please help me support OAR by making a contribution to my fundraiser and sharing this page with your family and friends. Every dollar I raise will advance Organization for Autism Research's great cause!


WHY RUN FOR AUTISM?
1 in 31 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. By joining the RUN FOR AUTISM team, you’re supporting OAR’s mission to fund research and resources that help people with autism and their families today.


Here are some of the ways that OAR uses the funds raised by the RUN FOR AUTISM team:

$10 provides a Curriculum in a Box professional development set to general education teachers.
$25 provides 15 copies of A Guide to Safety to families and first responders.
$100 provides the Kit for Kids peer education resource to an entire elementary or middle school.
$150 provides 100 copies of a Life Journey through Autism guidebook sent to a community support group or military installation.
$1,000 provides a research grant for a graduate student studying autism.
$3,000 provides a scholarship for a student with autism to attend college.
$50,000 fully underwrites an applied research pilot study.