Scholarships for Children With PDD-NOS

Nonprofit organizations offer scholarships to help children with ASD attend summer camps.

State educational agencies and private nonprofit organizations offer scholarships for children with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), a form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Certain scholarships provide funding to pay for special education programs for individuals 21 years of age and younger, while others help students with PDD-NOS pursue higher education. Scholarships may also help needy children with PDD-NOS attend special camps for autistic children or pay for special learning aids.

State-Sponsored Scholarships

Numerous states sponsor scholarship programs for children with ASDs. For example, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) administers the Ohio Autism Scholarship Program (OASP), which offers money to pay for private special education programs. The OASP extends eligibility to Ohio children three to 21 years of age, to pay for preschool through twelfth grade education programs. As of August 2011, the program offers maximum scholarships of $20,000 per year.

The State of Utah offers the Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship, which helps parents of autistic, mentally retarded, hearing impaired and visually impaired children pay for education programs at private schools. The Utah program only offers scholarships to children between the ages of five and 18.

Private Scholarships for Special Education

Private, nonprofit organizations that focus on the needs of the autistic often sponsor scholarships to help students pay for special education programs. The Foundation for Autism Care (FAC), for instance, awards scholarships to children with ASDs to help pay for special education school tuition, special learning aids or fees for summer programs at applied behavior analysis centers. The FAC only offers scholarships to children who hold residency in the Greater Houston, Texas area.

The Ann Arbor Autism Foundation in Ann Arbor Michigan offers grants to help cover the cost of support services and educational programs for children with ASDs. To qualify for the Ann Arbor program, candidates must demonstrate need for financial support.

Private Scholarships for Higher Education

Certain nonprofit organizations sponsor scholarship programs to help individuals with ASDs pursue higher education goals. For example, the Organization for Autism Research (OAR) administers the Schwallie Family Scholarship program, which awards funding to students with Asperger Syndrome and ASDs attending postsecondary institutions in the United States. The program extends eligibility to students attending four-year colleges, vocational schools, two-year colleges and technical schools.

The Autism Society administers the CVS All Kids Can Scholars Program, which helps people with ASDs pay for higher education programs at vocational schools, trade schools and colleges. As of August 2011, the CVS program offers scholarships up to $1,000.

Camp Scholarships

Nonprofit organizations that provide services for autistic children and their families often offer scholarships to help needy children attend autism camps. KindTree in Eugene, Oregon, for instance, administers a summer camp program for children with autism and their family members that features social events, entertainment, arts and craft programs and sporting events. KindTree offers a limited number of full and partial scholarships for autistic children who attend their camps, with awards based on financial need.

The Autism Society of Montgomery County Maryland sponsors support groups for families with autistic children and offers financial aid for Montgomery County children who need money to attend autism camps. As of August 2011, the Montgomery County organization offers camp funding through two programs, the Rachel Erin Nelligan Memorial Campership and Mary Ellen Daisey Camperships and Family Support program.

References

• Foundation for Autism Care: Scholarship Information
• Foundation for Autism Care: Application for Scholarship or Grant Funding
• Organization for Autism Research: Schwallie Family Scholarship Program
• School Choice Ohio: Autism Scholarship Program
• KindTree
• KindTree: KindTree Autism Camp Scholarship Application

Resources

• State of Utah Office of Education: Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship
• Ann Arbor Autism Foundation: Scholarship Procedures
• Autism Society: Awards/Scholarships
• Autism Society of Montgomery County Maryland: Campership/Scholarship
• The Autism Society
• Disabled World: U.S. Autism Scholarships
• The Friedman Foundation: School Choice Programs