ews for Immediate Release  

eb. 1, 2022 
 

 

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Creates Autism in the Courts Taskforce  

ARRISBURG — Focused on making justice accessible for all Pennsylvanians, the Pennsylvania 
Supreme Court has created a taskforce focused on issues affecting justice-involved individuals 
with autism and intellectual disabilities.  

artnering with the Pennsylvania Courts’ Office of Children and Families in the Courts and led 

by Justice Kevin M. Dougherty on behalf of the Supreme Court, the taskforce is focused on 
providing increased training opportunities for judges, helping further identify gaps in the 
system for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities and creating a local roadmap to 
resources and services.  

 full list of the taskforce members is available here. 

We learned so much from our listening tour – identified challenges, discussed experiences and 
committed to working together to find solutions but what we really learned is how much work 
there is to be done,” said Supreme Court Justice Kevin M.  Dougherty. “By creating a taskforce 
and partnering with our Office of Children and Families in the Courts who work primarily with 
children and families in the dependency court system, we’re positioning ourselves to better 
assist those who need it before they enter the court system. 

If we can provide support to a child before they are court involved and put a plan in place to 
help that child and their family before they continue down a challenging path – that’s a life 
changed, and a family saved. The momentum created by the regional tours, amplified by the 
work of the taskforce will allow us to replicate what we learned within the entire court system.” 

ith one in 46 children and one in 59 Pennsylvanians diagnosed with Autism Spectrum 

Disorder*, judges hearing juvenile, orphans, and family court cases are sure to have individuals 
living with autism come before them. The new partnership with the Office of Children and 
Families in the Courts will allow the court to start with children, their families and bring 
together, judges, legal advocates and social service professionals all working to provide 
assistance. 
 

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“This taskforce brings together top thought leaders, advocates and practitioners from the 
courts, autism and intellectual disabilities communities, advocates and children and youth 
professionals so that we can continue working to develop a framework within the courts to 
assist those in need,” Dougherty said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled about this new partnership 
and our path for moving forward, but this is just the beginning. While we are starting with 
children and families in our dependency system to build a foundation, we will look to replicate 
this framework across the court system once the taskforce completes its work.” 

n 2020, the Supreme Court signaled its commitment to Pennsylvanians with autism by forming 
a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Department of Human Services (DHS) to heighten the 
focus on helping judges better understand the necessary evaluations required for diagnosis, 
treatment and services for individuals with an ASD.  

hrough the listening tour, the Court and DHS heard first-hand about challenges faced in the 
system from medical professionals, service providers and individuals with autism alike as they 
sought access to justice. 

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 Autism and the Courts effort visit 
https://www.pacourts.us/learn/autism-and-the-courts. 
 

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Media contact: Stacey Witalec 
  717-877-2997 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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