Outreach Autism Services Network (OASN)
OASN is a non-profit organization founded 5/12/11 to provide low cost programs and services, no cost referrals & support (not financial) to individuals on the spectrum for autism & related neuro immune disorders (their families & caregivers) residing in the state of FL. All programs are offered conveniently in the middle of the state of Florida at 7634 SW 60th Avenue Ocala, Florida 34476.
GENERAL LINE: (352) 462-0168 Our general line is answered 8am-2:15pm August-May. June-July, phones are answered 8:30am-12:45pm.
K-12 EDUCATION LINE (Ocala Preparatory Academy) : (352) 509-4085 Phones are answered 8am-4pm August-May. June-July, 8:30am-12:45pm.
HOURS OF OPERATION: Our reception area is open during the following hours: August-May 8:45am-2:30pm M-F June-July 9am-12pm.
WE ARE CLOSED DURING THESE TIMES: Spring Break, Good Friday, the last week in May, the last two weeks in July, Thanksgiving Week, Christmas break and all major holidays.
WHAT DOES OASN DO?
OASN collaborates with doctors, therapists, schools, & other non profit organizations to provide valuable resources, services, events & support (meetings, not financial support). We currently provide social and academic programs for individuals with autism up to age 21. We hope to offer services to adults in the future. Please see our resource guide for resources for all ages.
OASN Social Programs and Events are dependent on grant funding and donations received.
Our subsidiary school, Ocala Preparatory Academy (a inclusion holistic faith based Christian private school) is funded in part by choice scholarships & parent financial participation.
Tax deductible donations help us keep our social and academic programs at a low cost to our students and their families.
OASN FOREVER HOME: We continue our search for our forever home for OASN! Specifically, we are searching for a mini farm, former lodge or school, with at minimum 6500 square feet and at least 2 acres of land. This property must be zoned PUD, agricultural or commercial and not part of a homeowner's association. Finding our forever home means that we can begin the process of offering services to adults and children 3-5! You can contribute financially to our forever home fund clicking here. We also appreciate your prayers to help us with getting funding to build or to purchase a property.
OASN MISSION
To facilitate the best outcomes for individuals with autism & related neuroimmune/neurodevelopmental disorders. This is accomplished by offering educational programs, services, support meetings, events & referrals to the individuals, families & caregivers served. All that we do is lead by faith and hope to impact our community in a positive way.
OASN HISTORY
For many years, we met at churches (we are grateful to all the churches that have assisted us over the years) and Christian organizations for our support meetings, programs, and services. OASN has always been an expression of faith (Christian), founded to help autism families that have struggled with finding support, services and receiving a formal diagnosis. Since we have been able to receive donations, we have always sought funding to provide services based on what OASN families have expressed a need for. In 2015, 70% percent of the calls we received were for education.
In December 2015, after lots of prayer and mindfulness, OASN started the process to open our subsidiary school, Ocala Preparatory Academy, an inclusion school. After being in two smaller offices, we were excited to move to our current building in March 2016. This move was done as a huge leap of faith by our board of directors that our executive director would be able to raise the funds to stay in our current building long term. We have since outgrown this buildng and need a larger space. We appreciate your prayers and donations to find or build a larger facility.
Everything we do has always been done within the framework of our Christian faith. In the past, our faith has taken a sideline because we did not want to turn away federal funding needed for OASN programs and services. In the spring of 2022, OASN learned that there was an Executive Order issued May 3, 2018, to ensure that faith-based organizations have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the Federal Government. This has not been the case in the past for faith-based organizations. Moving forward, we are faith based in all that we do.
NON DENOMINATIONAL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
OASN abides by Christian principles in all that we do:
Believe
Our students are taught to live out Christian principles at school, home, and in the world.
Learn
We look at our students holistically and ask for God's direction in all that we do. Our small class sizes and holistic approach help us to achieve this daily goal of supporting each student's success.
Lead
Our students are taught the importance of their character, morality and integrity. We are mindful of this in our daily prayers with our students and in our morning staff meetings.
Serve
Our students are taught that they have a greater purpose in life. Through mindful prayer and instruction, our staff helps guide our students to learn what their true purpose is.
EXPANSION PLANS=CAPITOL CAMPAIGN
Please contact our Programs Administrator, Ana Vonsander at avonsander@oasn.info for more information about our capital campaign. You can contribute financially to our forever home fund here.
We know the road, so we have paved it for others to have an easier journey!™
What is Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. Individuals with autism process information differently than those not on the spectrum for autism.
How many individuals are diagnosed with autism?
Are there higher medical costs associated with autism?
Individuals with an autism diagnosis have medical expenditures that exceeded those without an autism diagnosis by $4,110–$6,200 per year. On average, medical expenditures for individuals with an autism diagnosis were 4.1–6.2 times greater than for those without an autism diagnosis. Differences in median expenditures ranged from $2,240 to $3,360 per year with median expenditures 8.4–9.5 times greater. In 2005, the average annual medical costs for Medicaid-enrolled children with autism were $10,709 per child, which was about six times higher than costs for children without autism ($1,812). In addition to medical costs, intensive behavioral interventions for children with autism cost $40,000 to $60,000 per child per year.
Reference: Centers for Disease Control:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db291.pdf, please visit the CDC website for more information.
Our beginnings: Starting as a once a month support group at College Road Baptist Church on May 12, 2011, to our first Christmas party, to our summer sponsored bowling league, respite care, our first office, the MUGS, one of our many amazing autism walks from our first few years when we were Ocala Autism Support Network and later transitioned to Outreach Autism Services Network to outreach to other counties and later the entire state of FL (noting that our office is located in Ocala, FL but we do link families and individuals in other parts of the state with local resources).
HUGE thanks to Howard Middle School and the Jr. National Honor Society for volunteering, choosing OASN as their study project, and for their generous donation. Community support allows OASN to offer low cost/no cost programs/services. We are so grateful!
Ember911™
The Ember911™ Child Safety Education Program is designed to teach children how to react in dangerous or life threatening situations. Ember is virtual Dalmatian who teaches fire safety along with other aspects of child safety in an interactive way with a host of animated characters.
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Highly recommended for anyone looking for assistance with children with autism. Also any adults with autism looking for help, this is the place to go. Highly skilled and knowledgeable people ready to assist you and many others as well. If you haven't been to a Support meeting on Wednesday, you must go. Handouts, up to date information and much more on a weekly basis. 
I am so thankful I was invited to attend this class. The amount of knowledge that Anne Marie had was mind blowing. I am looking forward to some positive changes in my son's life. - Magnificent and amazing people!! Highly recommend this for anyone who needs assistance with their child for support in Autism! Super knowledgeable and very helpful! They have saved my life and my family’s!!
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