ews for Immediate Release  

pril 21, 2020 

 

ew Statewide Partnership Focuses on Autism Awareness and Education in the Courts  

Offers information for families during COVID-19 pandemic 

ARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, along with the Pennsylvania Department of 

Human Services (DHS), is launching a statewide initiative focused on helping judges better 
understand and communicate with individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  

he initiative is a first-of-its-kind partnership and will provide practical guidance, best practices 
and resources to judges managing cases involving an individual with autism as well as court 
information and services for families.  

Education and awareness are the cornerstones of this initiative and a key component in 
ensuring the courts and our communities are accessible to all users and their families,” said 
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty. “Initiatives such as this bring everyone to 
the table to learn from each other.”  

We are grateful for the opportunity to be part of the type of positive change that will directly 
impact families all across Pennsylvania.” 
  
With nearly one in 59 children diagnosed with an ASD*, judges hearing cases in criminal, 
juvenile, orphans’, family court, etc. are sure to have individuals living with autism come before 
them.  

s part of these efforts, the Pennsylvania Courts are partnering with: 

  DHS Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) –  
  Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training (ASERT) 
  Philadelphia Autism Project  

April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, and it is critically important that our justice 
system has what it needs to protect the vulnerable populations that it serves," said Department 
of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller. "DHS works tirelessly to ensure that people 
with autism have a right to an everyday life. We are proud to be partnering with the 
Pennsylvania Supreme Court to provide Pennsylvania's justice system with the information and 
resources it needs to guarantee this right."   

  N

  A

  N

  H

  T

  “

  “

  A

  "

s part of this effort, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the courts have added information and 

resources for families supporting an individual with autism on the Pennsylvania Courts 
frequently asked questions page.  

or more information about the joint effort and services and support for individuals with autism 
visit ASERT (Autism Services Education Resources and Training) at 
https://paautism.org/resource/justice/. 

Media contact: Stacey Witalec, Pennsylvania Court -- 717- 877- 2997 
 

  Erin James, Dept. of Human Services – ra-pwdhspressoffice@pa.gov 

 

 
### 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statistic from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Autism and Developmental 
Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, 2018   

  A

  F

   

       

  *