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Since 1997, SARRC has been helping people with autism achieve their goals. Help us achieve ours.

One in 59 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder, making it the most prevalent childhood developmental disorder in the U.S. Through SARRC's effective services, a diagnosis that previously called for institutionalization, now gives people with autism and their families hope and a future to look forward to.

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One day, as Emma Rodriguez was driving down 16th Street in Phoenix, she got lost. It turned out to be fortuitous. As she was trying to find where she needed to be, she spotted a sign that said “autism”—and immediately turned around and went in.

Emma’s son, Oscar, has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the building she had happened upon was SARRC.

SARRC is welcoming teens grades 7 through 12 to the PEERS® program, an evidence-based, parent-assisted social skills program aimed at helping teens to make and keep friends. PEERS is a 14-week program that teaches skills ranging from how to enter and exit conversations to how to handle teasing, bullying and rejection.

While teens are in their sessions, parents have a separate class where they learn how to be their teen's social coach.

Four-days-a-week, from 7-11 a.m., 60-year-old, Michael can be found at work at The University of Arizona’s Downtown Phoenix campus. He navigates a bus and train to get there, and it’s a routine that he looks forward to—and enjoys.

After being out of work for more than a year, he is grateful for the opportunity, as well as the support he found in looking for and training for a job. 

Michael, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), found the position as part of Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center’s (SARRC) Employment Services program. 

On Sunday, Oct. 28, families from around Arizona came together to celebrate the 2018 Autism Speaks Walk in partnership with SARRC. The event drew nearly 15,000 participants comprising 530 walk teams who came together to celebrate autism awareness in our community. The 13th annual event raised more than $650,000 to support critical autism research and resources.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 1 in 59 children has been identified with autism. Many children are not identified until after the age of 6, which is why Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) is collaborating with Great Hearts Academies on an autism screening initiative.

SARRC and Great Hearts are taking an innovative approach through the “Screening in Schools” project that aims to screen students—who may have been misdiagnosed or undiagnosed—by identifying social challenges to then prompt a formal autism evaluation. 

Behavior Imaging®,  a Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center partner, recently completed a National Institutes of Health-funded research study to compare current in-person autism assessment practices with the Naturalistic Observation Diagnostic Assessment™ (NODA), an evidence-supported autism diagnostic assessment that uses smartphone technology.

Most people have many misconceptions about autism. Four years ago, I was no different than most people. Whenever I thought of autism, I would immediately think of either my best friend’s younger brother who was nearly nonverbal, or jokes I had heard pertaining to it. Thankfully, I had an opportunity to learn how wrong my perceptions of those with autism really were.

At age 4, Jackson Thorne was very specific about the foods he would eat. On his rotation were chicken nuggets, tostadas, beans and chips, and a specific pasta dish that his mom made. Plus, his food needed to be hot or he wouldn’t eat it.

For his parents, Michele and Matthew, it was extremely stressful.

“At the time, he only went to preschool for a half-day, so I was able to bring him home and heat up a lunch for him. But, kindergarten was approaching and it would be all day. I didn’t know how we’d be able to get him to eat or what I could send for him,” Michele says.

The team at SARRC put together five  bite-sized tips for parents of children who face challenges during mealtimes. Our top five tips may help create a better bond and reduce stress surrounding breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Provide choices. Whether it’s what chair to sit in, the color of the plate, the food they will eat, or the reward they receive for eating a new food, it helps your child feel like they are a part of mealtime.

Start a mealtime routine. Set meal times and a location for meals. Routines help provide clear expectations.