A.J. Drexel Autism Institute Contributes to Pennsylvania's Website and Toll-Free Number for Autism Resources

The Pennsylvania ASERT Collaborative has launched a new autism resource website, PAautism.org, and toll-free phone number.

The Pennsylvania Autism Services, Education, Resources & Training Collaborative (ASERT) has announced the launch of a statewide resource center to provide streamlined access to information for the estimated 30,000 Pennsylvanians living with autism.

The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University is one of three primary ASERT partners statewide, serving eastern Pennsylvania. The other primary partners are Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders in western Pennsylvania and Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in central Pennsylvania.

The three components of the new ASERT Resource Center are a statewide toll-free number for live assistance, 1-877-231-4244, a new website, http://www.PAautism.org and outreach specialists available for community participation.

The website offers information about local, regional and statewide events, professional training opportunities, community resources, services, current research and other information relevant to the autism community.

The ASERT Statewide Resource Center, funded by the Bureau of Autism Services in the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, is a key component of Pennsylvania’s strategy for supporting individuals with autism and their families throughout the Commonwealth.

This launch is only the beginning of what the Resource Center will be able to offer. The ASERT Collaborative aims to serve as Pennsylvania’s leading source for up-to-date and accurate information and resources for individuals with autism, their families, the community and the professionals who support them.

The ASERT Collaborative is a partnership of medical centers, centers of autism research and services, universities, community organizations, and other providers of services involved in the treatment and care of adults and children with autism. It serves as a national model of effective public-private partnerships that are able to provide support on a wide scale through the most effective use of existing resources.

Autism Employment Training and Resource Fairs from Eastern Region ASERT at Drexel

Autism Employment Training and Resource Fairs from Eastern Region ASERT at Drexel

For example, the ASERT team based at Drexel is coordinating training in customized employment for several large human services organizations in the region, to create rewarding jobs for adults on the autism spectrum.

The eastern Pennsylvania ASERT will also host a series of autism resource fairs for the public in June 2013:

• Luzerne County Community College
  Saturday, June 1, 2013 , 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Educational Conference Center (Building 10)
  1333 S. Prospect Street, Nanticoke, Pa.
• Community College of Philadelphia
  Thursday, June 6, 2013, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  Featuring a keynote address by Philadelphia City Councilman Dennis O’Brien at 6 p.m.
  Winnet Student Life Building
  1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
• Penn State Brandywine
  Saturday, June 8, 2013, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  Featuring a keynote address by Congressman Patrick Meehan at 11 a.m.
  Tomezsko Classroom Building
  25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media, Pa.

Each of these resource fairs will include Spanish-language materials and simultaneous Spanish translation of the keynote addresses via headphone sets, provided by Vision for Equality’s Latino Services division.

Note to news media: For additional information about the Pennsylvania ASERT Collaborative and about the new website and toll-free phone number, contact Carla Craig, ccraig3@hmc.psu.edu or 717-531-7458.