University Times

UPMC has received $460,000 from Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization, to continue its participation as an Autism Treatment Network (ATN) site.

The three-year foundation grant supports comprehensive diagnosis and medical evaluation for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The local site is a collaboration of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders at UPMC, Children’s Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh Center for Excellence in Autism Research.

“We are extremely pleased that Autism Speaks has recognized the past efforts of the Pittsburgh ATN site by awarding our program with an additional three years of funding,” said Benjamin Handen, associate professor of psychiatry, pediatrics, psychology and education at Pitt and principal investigator of the Pittsburgh site. “Over 230 families have enrolled locally, which attests to the level of interest that the ATN has generated.”

ATN is a group of 17 hospitals and medical centers in the United States and Canada, dedicated to improving medical care for children and adolescents with ASD and to standardizing the care those individuals receive. The ATN’s multi-disciplinary approach includes collaboration among specialists in areas including neurology, developmental pediatrics, child psychiatry, psychology, gastroenterology, genetics, metabolic disorders and sleep disorders.

The network aims to develop common clinical standards for medical care for individuals with ASD and to increase the pool of autism medical specialists through trainee mentorship and outreach to community-based physicians. Families receiving care at the sites can participate in a data registry that tracks children and adolescents receiving ongoing care. ATN has enrolled more than 3,200 families.