Articles and resources shared in this e-blast are provided for informational purposes only. They are not written by Autism Connection of PA staff and do not necessarily reflect the views, beliefs, or official positions of Autism Connection of PA or its Board Members. We encourage readers to use their own judgment and consult trusted professionals as needed.

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Leading Education & Awareness on Research in Neurodivergence

LEARN is a monthly seminar hosted by the ACLD Tillotson School and REAACT Autism Research Program. The series takes place over 4 months, sharing the latest research on neurodevelopmental disabilities from professionals in the field. The seminar series covers topics that are important to researchers, teachers/educators, psychologists, parents, as well as neurodiverse individuals and their advocates.

January 14th, 2026    6:30-7:45pm on Zoom

Topic: Mental Health 

Speaker: Kelly Beck, PhD, LPC, CRC

This meeting is for parents and caregivers who have loved ones with complex needs.

Tuesday, January 13th at 6:30pm on Zoom

From the facilitators:

"Winter is certainly a time when most people feel a bit stir crazy from cabin fever, so we thought we'd open up a discussion on ways that people can survive those winter days."

Autism Connection will provide resources and indoor activity suggestions.

Social groups are designed for people on the autism spectrum to meet with one another and share hobbies, interests and engage in social activity. ASERT has a map of the entire state of Pennsylvania. Click on your county to find social groups near you.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are comparing the effectiveness of two therapies, the Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement (EASE) Program and Unified Protocol (UP). Both therapies were developed to help people manage their emotions.

We are looking for people who:

• Are age 12-25

• Have a professional autism spectrum disorder diagnosis

• Have the ability to communicate (speaking or nonspeaking) and receive therapy

• Have difficulty managing emotions

• Live in Pennsylvania

What would I do in the study?

• Attend approximately 16 therapy sessions, which can be in-person or telehealth with providers from our partnering

community mental health clinics.

• Complete surveys and interviews at four different times.

You will be compensated for completing surveys and interviews associated with the study.

Contact: Kara Duman - emotiontherapy@upmc.edu or 1-866-647-3436

The University of Pittsburgh Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) research study hopes to learn more to help support mental health and reduce suicide risk for autistic adults.

Enrolling ages 18-65 who were diagnosed with autism as a child. Participants will complete eligibility testing and questionnaires, wear chest and ankle bands to monitor physiological activity, and complete an fMRI scan. Brief assessments 6- and 12- months after enrollment. Study payment provided.

Please email pittace@upmc.edu or call 724-524-8415. http://www.reaact.pitt.edu