Pitt REAACT: An NIH Autism Center of Excellence

"In Pittsburgh, as an autistic person, finding joy is often a challenging journey", a new first-person essay by Eli-Kurs Lasky Eli is a writer, photographer, and REAACT Community Partner. You can read his latest personal essay in @PublicSourcePA by scanning the QR Code

Are you a clinical PhD student or recent grad with research interests in autism? Join our network through the Clinical Internship and PostDoc Opportunities at Western Psychiatric Hospital! @PittPsychiatry psychiatry.pitt.edu/educatio… psychiatry.pitt.edu/research…

This past Sunday, Pitt REAACT attended the AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention. We joined the community in a day of remembrance and hope. We continue to feel empowered by the community to share mental health awareness and support suicide prevention in our work.

Congratulations to Dr. Claire Klein for completing her 12-month Clinical Psychology Internship at the University of Pittsburgh! We are thrilled to have her continue her time with REAACT as a T32 Postdoctoral Fellow.

Over Labor Day weekend, Pitt REAACT tabled alongside staff from the Pitt Youth and Family Research Program (YFRP) at Pittsburgh’s Soul Food Festival! We had a great time connecting with the local community, sharing info about research, and eating good food.

Check out this new series by Bethal Park Television on mental health education and tips! The series features Community Partner and Licensed Professional Counselor, Paula Kauffman Oberly. Scan the QR code to watch the first episode on YouTube📺

Congratulations to our REAACT team for a wonderful day at the @pittpsychiatry Research Day in June. We had a great day full of learning and many accomplishments, including earning the Research Team of the Year Award! Looking forward to next year's event!

Dr. Ben Handen was chosen for the Translational Research in Psychology Award at the Third Annual UPMC/Pitt Consortium! Congratulations, Dr. Handen!

Dr. Greg Siegle and Maggie Zink are representing Pitt REAACT at Scientists Like Me®, an event at the Kamin Science center (@kaminsciencecenter) This event highlights neurodivergent and disabled professionals working in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

“Emotion dysregulation in autism: Severity and correlates in early childhood” (Northrup et al.) is among the top 10 most-cited papers published in 2024 in Autism Research! Scan the QR code to read the publication!

Autism Society Greater Pittsburgh is hosting Step Together: A Community Walk & Talk Event coming up on June 24, 2026 You can learn more and register for this FREE event by scanning the QR code or by visiting AutismSocietyGreaterPittsbur…

REAACT attended the 2026 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Autism Research (INSAR) this April! #INSAR2026 @AutismINSAR Our team presented 8 research posters, 2 panel talks, and 1 special interest group meeting at the conference in Prague, Czech Republic.

The Emotion Dysregulation Inventory (EDI) measure is being used in all 50 states! Request the measure (self-report and young child versions also available) here: pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/f… or scan the QR code!

This #AutismAcceptanceMonth, we would like to spotlight the fantastic photographer, writer, and PAARCC member, Eli Kurs-Lasky! See Eli's latest photography by visiting his Instagram @stillcityphotography. Check out the link in his bio to read one of Eli's published writing pieces

Support local autistic artists this Autism Acceptance Month and always! Visit REAACT.Pitt.edu/Art to see a variety of art, from singing to mosaics, to photography, and glasswork, all created by autistic artists! #AutismAcceptanceMonth

This #AutismAcceptanceMonth, we would like to spotlight the amazing Andre Rhone! He performs blues and rock vocals and is also one of our fantastic PAARCC members ⭐ See some of Andre's latest work by visiting his TikTok account (AndreSingsBlues) or scan the QR code in this post

The International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) conference is this week in Prague! Come check out the REAACT team's presentations! Also, congratulations to Soo Youn Kim for receiving a Diversity Travel Award! 🎉 @AutismINSAR #INSAR2026

On Tuesday, Madeleine, undergraduate research assistant and Pitt senior, defended her honors thesis, “Parent Perceptions of Emotion Dysregulation and Co-Regulation Strategies in Autistic and Non-Autistic Children”. Her thesis was advised by Dr. Jessie Northup. Amazing job!

A reminder from Pitt REAACT: Take a chance to do something you find meaningful! Celebrating Autism Acceptance for April and always! 💙⭐ #AutismAcceptanceMonth

Thanks for visiting the REAACT table at the Pitt AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention on Saturday! It was a meaningful experience for us to meet people in the Pittsburgh community and be a part of such an important cause 💙