ASERT to Support the Pennsylvania Autism Surveillance Project (PASP) in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ASERT to Support the Pennsylvania Autism Surveillance Project (PASP) in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network

HARRISBURG, PA, April 27, 2023 – ASERT (Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training) will play a supporting role in the new Pennsylvania site of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, the Pennsylvania Autism Surveillance Project (PASP). The ADDM Network, funded by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), generates the national prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities.

ASERT is a unique public-private collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) and 3 regionally-situated academic health centers including the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University, Penn State College of Medicine, and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. For decades, ASERT has been a is a key component in DHS’s outreach, training, and design of innovative models of ASD support.

Participation in the PASP as part of the ADDM network will bolster Pennsylvania’s efforts to understand and describe the prevalence of ASD in the Commonwealth and allow for greater understanding and response to the gaps and needs of Pennsylvanians on the autism spectrum more effectively. The ASERT Collaborative is excited to be supporting PA DHS in this new endeavor.

“ASERT supports the autism community in Pennsylvania through our resource database, call center, educational opportunities, data measurement, and other innovative projects,” said ASERT Eastern Regional Director, Kaitlin Koffer Miller. “We’re looking forward to continuing and enhancing this support as Pennsylvania embarks on this exciting new partnership with the ADDM network.”

The ADDM network is the only collaborative network to track the number and characteristics of children with ASD and other developmental disabilities in multiple communities throughout the United States. Beginning in 2000, the ADDM Network has been tracking the number and characteristics of 8-year-old children with ASD.

About ASERT

Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training (ASERT) is a statewide initiative funded by the Office of Developmental Programs, PA Department of Human Services.  The ASERT Collaborative is a partnership of medical centers, centers of autism research and services, universities, and other providers involved in the treatment and care of autistic individuals of all ages and their families. ASERT was developed to bring together autism resources locally, regionally, and statewide.

Media Contact: Kylie Tray Nicklas, trayk@upmc.edu

Download This Press Release: ASERT – ADDM Press Release 4.27.23

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