Autism Society

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Siblings of Autism Logo

(SOA) is announcing the winners of its 3rd Annual Siblings of Autism Scholarship Contest—an important program dedicated to supporting the siblings of individuals on the autism spectrum with educational scholarships—through “Siblings Sundays”. “Siblings Sundays” is a social media campaign dedicated to supporting the siblings of individuals on the autism spectrum and to recognize siblings who shared their stories through photo/statement submissions for the Siblings of Autism Scholarship Contest in 2018.

 

Each week, a winner will be spotlighted along with their winning submission, that speaks to what Autism Is. The series will conclude on April 10th—National Siblings Dayalso, the same day the 2019 Siblings of Autism Scholarship Contest begins.

 

Many people who are not impacted by autism fail to realize how expensive it is for a family to raise a child on the autism spectrum. Often as a family’s limited income must be used to obtain the needed services and support for the family member with autism, the other children in the household are directly affected. The impacts may include lack of funds for summer camps, college tuition, or vocational training. Siblings of Autism distributes scholarships for education and other defined needs for those that have a sibling on the spectrum.

 

Working together, Siblings of Autism and the Autism Society of America have formed a partnership to start supporting the needs of siblings of those living with autism. The effort Siblings of Autism has undertaken is a contest program where siblings of those living with autism are encouraged to submit a powerful statement describing what they perceive Autism Is along with a personal photo. A panel of volunteers reviewed the submissions and determined which submissions had the most powerful statement. Seven scholarships were awarded as follows: One $10,000, one $5,000, and five $1,000 scholarships and can be used for post-secondary education opportunities, other educational pursuits, or camps. For the purpose of this effort, a sibling who was considered for a scholarship must have at least one brother or one sister who lives with autism. Decisions on scholarship winners were announced to winning recipients in November 2018.

 

Siblings of Autism is its own organization, founded by Jason Cherry, and is dedicated to supporting the siblings of individuals on the autism spectrum through educational scholarships, respite funds, and outreach programs. “Along with the gifts came the challenges. I would not say it was an easy journey,” said Cherry. “The dynamics in my household while growing up were at times overwhelming. I recall the many times my brother, Matthew, would self-harm. It was difficult to watch, and even more difficult to understand given that I was so young. Now as an adult, I can understand how those experiences shaped the man that I am today.”

 

The “Siblings Sundays” social media mini-series will commence on January 20thand will feature each winner in a spotlight where their AutismIs statement and person photo for this scholarship contest will be showcased. This weekly winner spotlight will be live on ASA's Facebook Page. The series will conclude on April 10th—National Siblings Day—also, the same day the 2019 Siblings of Autism Scholarship Contest begins.

 

About Siblings of Autism

Siblings of Autism (SOA) is dedicated to supporting the siblings of individuals on the autism spectrum through scholarships, respite funds, and outreach programs. Jason Cherry, founder of Siblings of Autism, recognizes the powerful impact of growing up with a sibling on the autism spectrum. Jason’s brother, Matthew, was adopted from a Russian orphanage in 1993 just before Jason’s birth. Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and fetal alcohol syndrome, Matthew had a substantial impact on Jason’s and his sister’s childhood. The extensive involvement and funding required by the family for services and support for Matthew over two decades directly influenced Jason and contributed to his compassion for kids on the autism spectrum and their siblings. As a direct result of the powerful and challenging experiences in his home, Jason has developed into a true leader and is working to become a voice for all siblings of individuals with autism.

Autism Society
4340 East West Hwy Ste 350
Bethesda, MD 20814
United States

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