About Us

Who We Are

AID in PA is home to resources designed to support individuals with autism and or an intellectual or developmental disability, their parents and caregivers, professionals and the communities across Pennsylvania. AID in PA is a collaborative effort between the Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training (ASERT) Collaborative, its subsidiary teams #ASDNext and the Philly Autism Project, and Pennsylvania’s Office of Developmental Programs (ODP).

The mission of AID in PA is to leverage the unique specialties of its collaborators to offer a comprehensive resource collection supporting the intellectual disability/developmental disability/autism (ID/DD/A) communities of Pennsylvania. By addressing topics most relevant to these communities and uniquely designing content for each stakeholder group, AID in PA is the go-to for living a full life with autism and or an intellectual or development disability in Pennsylvania.

AID in PA does not offer crisis services. If you or someone you love is experiencing mental health distress or thoughts of suicide please call or text 988 for support. 

Our History

AID in PA began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. ODP knew it was a time of need for the ID/DD/A communities of Pennsylvania during an uncertain time and called on ASERT and the Health Care Quality Units (HCQUs) to be the initial content creators. With the goal of arming self-advocates and those who support them with the necessary information to navigate and cope with a global health crisis, AID in PA officially launched in the spring of 2020 with a series of webinars, print documentation and external resource collections.

Redefining Focus

As Pennsylvania, alongside the world, worked through the COVID-19 pandemic, AID in PA began to broaden its approach.  While continuing to focus on emergency response and timely needs, AID in PA now offers guidance and support through a multitude of challenges facing the ID/DD/A communities such as emergency preparedness, personal and community safety, planning and decision-making tools, and public health/wellness.