Impact

The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute is the first research organization dedicated to bringing a public health approach to understanding and addressing the challenges of autism spectrum disorders. The Institute’s interdisciplinary team of world-class researchers explores autism’s characteristics, causes and consequences to develop community-based action to improve the quality of life for individuals of all ages with autism.

The work we do here at the Autism Institute encompasses the entire lifespan, including autism risk factors during pregnancy, to early diagnosis and intervention during early childhood, all the way through transitioning to education, employment, and beyond in adulthood. Whether it’s preparing high school students diagnosed with autism for a job after graduation or looking at how a mother’s diet might influence the chances of a newborn developing autism, our initiatives and projects work to advance our understanding of autism every day.