Hi,

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page and for helping me raise awareness/money for this great charity. Whilst researching which charity to support I came across OAR. Even though I'm not effected by autism in my personal life, I was impressed with what they where doing and how they're supporting not only people with this condition, but also their families. 

I have added some information regarding Autism below and how OAR help's people and family members deal with their condition and lead a normal life. 

In the past 30 years, the prevalence rate of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has skyrocketed. Recent estimates indicate that autism spectrum disorders occur in 1 out of every 59 children born (source: CDC, 2018). 

No one is sure what causes Autism, and/ if there are any enviromental influences, but scientists have determined that autism is a genetic based condition. From research so far into the condition, science has determind that the below are the best methods of treatment;

• Scientists agree that the earlier a child receives early intervention services, the better the child’s prognosis. All children with autism can benefit from early intervention, and some may gain enough skills to be able to attend a mainstream school.
• The most effective treatments available today are applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and occupational, speech and physical therapy, which have proven to be the most effective.
• There is no cure for autism, and most individuals with ASD will need support and services throughout their lifetime.
• Many supposed “cures” for autism advertised on the internet are not backed through scientific studies and can be harmful.

(source: https://autismsciencefoundation.org)

OAR uses the funds raised by the RUN FOR AUTISM team to support the above treatments, further research projects and help people with the condition and their family members live a normal life. I have listed below some their programes and how the money is spent;

• $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.
• $30,000 fully underwrites an applied research pilot study.

Thank you again for taking the time to learn more and for making those 26.2 miles worth doing.

Graham