Support For Parents

Welcome to the tour of our web site!

To begin the tour, we have provided a series of web pages that describe the many aspects of autism, starting with seeking an Autism Diagnosis, covering the Signs and Symptoms of Autism, the Characteristics of Autism, and the Treatment Goals for Autism, and ending with a Glossary of Terms.

If you are seeking help and understanding for raising a child with ASD, you can join one of our Support Groups for parents of children on the autism spectrum. The leaders of these support groups are often parents of autistic children themselves, and provide support for managing the daily stresses of raising a child with autism. Our list of Autism Support Groups in PA is organized by county, so you can quickly find a support group in your area.

For more information about autism and related disorders, you can visit our extensive autism Lending Library, consisting of over 800 books, DVDs, videos, and other media. You can request up to four items each month, and we ship for free to anywhere in Pennsylvania!

In our Autism Resources section, you can see our large list of organizations and businesses that support the autism community. You can also find useful information about getting Medical Assistance and Health Insurance Coverage for people with autism. These resources include our Autism Wraparound Directory, a county-by-county list of respite services in Pennsylvania available to children with autism, provided by parents and service professionals experienced with raising autistic children.

For children and teens in elementary through high school, we provide a series of Autism Self-Advocacy School Workbooks. These are downloadable PDF booklets that can be filled out by both parents and children to provide information to teachers about what supports the student with ASD needs. We also offer a listing of paid Autism Research Studies that research the possible causes of autism as well as effective treatments.

For ongoing autism information, you can Sign Up for our weekly E-Blast and our free quarterly Newsletter. Our emails and newsletters cover useful information from the autism community, including current research and news from our many support group leaders.

Our emails also cover current Community Events, Conferences, and our regular Autism Fundraisers. Please see our Calendar of Events to see which events you would like to attend.

You can also help us continue our good work by Donating to ABOARD’s Autism Connection of PA, Contributing a Book to our library, Shopping at our store, or Volunteering.

  • Autism Resources

  • Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community

    Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community

    Saturday, May 18th

    Stage AE on the North Shore

    REGISTER AS A WALKER OR DONATE HERE

  • Autism Friendly Performance of Disney's The Lion King

     

    Saturday, September 21, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
    The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to partner with Disney Theatrical Productions for this very special performance of Disney’s The Lion King. This presentation will be a sensory-friendly performance that allows families with members on the Autism spectrum to experience a regular Broadway production with several alterations that meet the needs of the audience. Pittsburgh will be the third city to offer this type of program, and The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust remains committed to making theater and the arts accessible to all audiences.
    The ticket purchasing process is as follows:
    • a brief questionnaire will need to be completed
    • choose the ticket price you would like to order
    • you will then receive a phone call from The Benedum Center                                                     asking for seat selections, based on your family’s needs

    PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

     

  • Three Rivers Rowing Event

    June 8, 2013, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    From Enjoy a day learning about the Adaptive Paddle Program at Three Rivers Rowing Association — tour the facility, explore the equipment, try the practice tanks and sit in a dragon boat in the water.  Children ages 12 and older are encouraged to participate, along with their families and support staff.

    REGISTER HERE

     

  • Amusement Park Tickets

    SINCE THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS, PLEASE CALL

    AUTISM CONNECTION OF PA’S OFFICE AT 412-449-0165 FOR ORDERS.  THANK YOU

     

    IDLEWILD — $20.00 — tickets valid WEEKDAYS only, May 27th, June 7th-August 8th and September 2nd

    SANDCASTLE — $15.00 — tickets valid any day

    KENNYWOOD — $23.00 — tickets valid any day in May, June and September.  Valid WEEKDAYS in July and August.