April 17, 2015
Youth with autism have many support systems as long as they’re in school. Paul Shattuck, who directs the Life Course Outcomes program at Drexel University’s Autism Institute in Philadelphia, discusses what happens when these youth age out of a school support system and are faced with the sometimes overwhelming challenges of pursuing further education, looking for jobs, and living on their own.
Paul Shattuck, PhD, is highlighted in a Washington Post article on adults on the autism spectrum, outcomes, and future directions in research and services
March 23, 2015
Paul Shattuck directs the Life Course Outcomes program at Drexel University’s Autism Institute in Philadelphia. He has spent much of the past five years dissecting data from a nationally representative survey of adults who received special education services during high school, including students with autism.
March 20, 2015
Diana Robins, who heads a research program area at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, has developed, with others, the M-CHAT-R (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised). Robins reports in a recent study in the journal Pediatrics that use of the tool can reduce diagnosis age to about 25 months. An earlier diagnosis means intervention can begin earlier, and that's the good news.
February 10, 2015
Paul Shattuck directs the Life Course Outcomes program at Drexel University’s Autism Institute in Philadelphia. He has spent much of the last five years dissecting data from a nationally representative survey of adults who received special education services during high school, including students with autism.
February 3, 2015
At a hearing before a Council subcommittee, leaders in autism services spoke about a range of needs, including smoother transitions across the life span and improved access to care for underserved populations.
December 28, 2014
Some of the autistic children Connor Kerns works with have odd fears: exposed pipes, bubbles on pizza, a microwave's beep. These may seem innocuous to many people, but for someone with autism, they can trigger a wave of worry and anxiety.
December 3, 2014
Dr. Robins speaks in this segment on diagnosing autism and when evaluation should be considered.
November 19, 2014
Dr. Kerns is one of five recipients of an Autism Science Foundation 2014 Research Enhancement Grant. Her project will focus on designing and validating an instrument to improve the measurement of anxiety in individuals with autism.
Lindsay Shea, DrPH, an assistant professor in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute and director of the eastern region of the Pennsylvania Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training Collaborative (ASERT), was quoted in a WHYY-FM/Newsworks story on Nov. 13 about the new ASERT census she led showing that the number of individuals with autism receiving services has tripled in the state.
November 13, 2014
The Autism Services, Education, Resources & Training Collaborative (ASERT) has released the Pennsylvania Autism Census Update for 2014. The census, lead by Dr. Lindsay Shea, found that the number of individuals with autism in all age groups receiving services has increased tremendously since the original census study was released in 2009. Read more about the census on the ASERT website, here.
November 5, 2014
Dr. Lindsay Shea is interviewed by the Pittsburgh City Paper on the relative lack of knowledge and services for adults with autism. The article also talks about the Pennsylvania autism-needs assessment and interviews other experts.
October 24, 2014
Dr. Craig Newschaffer commented in Forbes on a study finding that children with autism were 1.4 to two times more likely to have been exposed to higher levels of air pollution during pregnancy and the first two years of life than children without autism.
September 22, 2014
Sure, the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute just receives $3.6 million from an anonymous donor, but this isn't your regular, everyday autism grant. It's more about empowering folks with autism to live positive lives.
August 10, 2014
The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University has received a grant of $3.6 million from an anonymous donor to launch four major initiatives of its Life Course Outcomes research program, focused on understanding and improving quality of life issues for people on the autism spectrum at all ages. This program is led by Autism Institute professor Paul Shattuck, PhD, a nationally recognized expert on these issues.
July 15, 2014
Exel, the Drexel University research magazine, published a special report on the state of autism research.
June 26, 2014
Drexel University researchers piloted a survey to assess the difference in self-reported driving ability and driving behaviors in adults with autism versus adults without autism. Paul Shattuck describes the importance of this type of study for the provision of supports for individuals with autism to increase ability for community contribution.
June 11, 2014
Autism Institute Fellow Brian Lee coauthored a brief report on the trends of autism awareness in the U.S. over the past 10 years. The research suggests that autism awareness month and televised reports on autism promote online search interest in autism.
May 21, 2014
Autism Institute Fellow Brian Lee coauthored a paper in which they sought to provide an overview of the world of autism research. The article was published in Autism Research: Official Journal of the International Society for Autism Research.
June 10, 2014
Dr. Shattuck and Ms. Roux just published an editorial on a landmark Autism Speaks-funded study on the economic costs of autism to families and society. Our research on young adults with autism finds that poor outcomes remain common even though we, as a nation, spend billions of dollars a year on childhood interventions for autism. Of course, childhood services are essential. But we need to do a better job tracking what is being done with whom and with what impact.
June 9, 2014
Buescher and colleagues have broken new ground in their article “Costs of Autism Spectrum Disorders in the United Kingdom and the United States” by comparing costs for children vs adults, by estimating costs by sector, and by comparing estimates across countries. This accomplishment is especially remarkable given the challenge presented by a profound lack of infrastructure for routinely monitoring costs and outcomes in people with autism spectrum disorders. We wish to reflect further on the conceptual and measurement advances needed to reach a point where we can meaningfully link investments in services to life course outcomes.
The article by Beuscher et al. can be found here, in which they estimate that it costs $2.4 million to support an individual with autism throughout his or her lifetime.
More coverage of the article and the editorial can be found at:
June 9, 2014
In an anecdote about two young adults with ASD, Paul Shattuck discusses the lack of services and opportunities many adults with autism face. Two years after graduation from high school, more than half of individuals with autism are not employed or seeking higher education.
June 2, 2014
A new study from researchers at Drexel University adds evidence that using common antidepressant medications during pregnancy may contribute to a higher risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children, although this risk is still very small.
May 29, 2014
The Autism Institute held an unveiling event for Mobile REACH today, receiving huge community support. Faculty from the Autism Institute, Drexel President John Fry, School of Public Health Dean Ana Diez Rouz, and Christina Weiss Lurie spoke about the uses and opportunities of Mobile REACH.
ABC 6 Action News story
KYW coverage
CBS Philly story
May 14, 2014
"This new study makes a vitally important contribution by helping to map this little-explored territory," said Paul Shattuck, a Drexel University autism researcher who was not involved.
April 24, 2014
Why autism strikes certain kids -- and not others -- has puzzled scientists for half a century. But one trend is clear: having older parents seems to increase the risk. Now, a study from Drexel University adds two more wrinkles to the story.
April 23, 2014
The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University is going mobile. The institute has outfitted a mobile clinic to extend its autism outreach and clinical research activities into the community. Drexel’s Mobile REACH (Resources and Education for Autism and Community Health) clinic will be used to conduct psycho-social, behavioral and neuro-psychological evaluations of people of any age at any location. It will also be used to help people learn about the resources, services and support available at Drexel for autism patients and their families.
April 21, 2014
The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University can’t contain its efforts within the walls of a building – so it is now hitting the road with a custom-outfitted van, called Mobile REACH, to extend autism outreach and clinical research activities into the community.
April 4, 2014
Experts at Drexel University are available to comment for news stories about autism for Autism Awareness Month in April and throughout the year. The University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, focused on a public health science approach to autism, continues to grow and add expertise in critical areas including life course outcomes and employment for adults on the autism spectrum.
February 20, 2014
For people on the autism spectrum, going to an unfamiliar place can be challenging. In a new initiative aimed at making a visit to the science museum as stress-free, fun and educational as possible, the Academy has begun implementing several programs designed specifically for children on the spectrum.
November 1, 2013
New research finds community colleges may play a particularly important role in fostering transition into productive lives for individuals on the autism spectrum.
October 21, 2013
Despite limited evidence supporting the practice, researchers say that nearly two-thirds of children with autism are taking at least one psychotropic drug. In a review of medical and pharmacy claims data for 33,565 kids with autism between 2001 and 2009, researchers from Drexel found that 64 percent of children on the spectrum were prescribed at least one psychotropic medication.
September 28, 2013
Lori Ireland and a handful of other parents in Chapel Hill, N.C., had a simple dream: They wanted their teenage children to be able to have jobs someday. Sitting around with nothing productive to do would be unsatisfying and frustrating for their kids, not to mention expensive. But they also knew the dismal truth: It's tough for someone with autism to get a job.
September 18, 2013
Young adults with autism are less likely to find work or live on their own than their peers with other kinds of disabilities, two new studies show. The first study, with author Paul Shattuck, focused on employment. Researchers found that only about half of those with autism had ever held a job since high school, and only about a third were currently working.
September 15, 2013
Autism research tends to focus on the causes of this developmental disorder, and on early interventions for children affected by it. Philadelphia's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute is now making an effort to better understand how to help adults with autism.
September 13, 2013
Autism Speaks held its first Small Business Town Hall meeting, hosted by the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. Over 130 people participated in the event, including adults with autism and their families, small business owners, employment service providers, and local politicians.
September 5, 2013
A Pennsylvania emergency room doctor and three professors from Indiana University of Pennsylvania have created a training manual and DVD to help ER clinicians deal more effectively with patients on the autism spectrum. Funded through the Bureau of Autism Services of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare and Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training (ASERT), the training protocols are currently being promoted in hospitals across Pennsylvania, and the manual’s authors say the expanded goal is to incent health systems and medical professionals nationwide to better prepare practitioners to treat the rising prevalence of patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
September 4, 2013
Two newly published studies show precisely how stark the situation is for finding success in employment and independent living among young adults on the autism spectrum, compared to their peers with other types of disabilities. The researchers emphasize the need to strengthen services to help adolescents and young adults and their families with transition planning.
September 1, 2013
It is with great pleasure that the AJ Drexel Autism Insitute annouces that Paul Shattuck, PhD will be joining Drexel University as an Associate Professor and Leader of a Research Program Area in Life Course Outcomes based in the Autism Institute.
August 26, 2013
Adjusting to adulthood can be difficult for any young person, but for adolescents with autism or other developmental disorders, the transition can be especially difficult.
August 23, 2013
The vast majority of youngsters with autism will grow up to be adults with autism. An estimated one of every 88 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means that 45,000 to 50,000 kids with autism turn 18 each year, says autism researcher Paul Shattuck.
August 13, 2013
Every so often a science news story comes along proclaiming that we are on the cusp of a revolutionary new understanding of autism spectrum disorders.
August 6, 2013
A new database pools health registry data from seven countries, dramatically boosting potential sample sizes for epidemiological studies of autism.
Newschaffer and Phoebe Jones, MPH'14, Travel to Israel for Autism Research
August 6, 2013
Current MPH student Phoebe Jones traveled to Israel in June with Dr. Michael Yudell, an associate professor, and Dr. Craig Newschaffer, a professor and director of the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute.
August 4, 2013
Elizabeth Torres, a computational neuroscientist at Rutgers University, thinks many experts are making a mistake when they focus only on what’s malfunctioning in the brains of people with autism.
July 9, 2013
Dan Selec has a revolutionary idea: teach adults on the autism spectrum how to code so they can create apps and video games and make a living in the tech industry.
June 20, 2013
Two teams of Drexel researchers, led by Drs. Evan Forman and Brian Daly of the psychology department, have been given seven monthly and $250,000 each from Shire Pharmaceuticals to develop a self-management tool that will aid patients with behavioral health disorders.
May 31, 2013
The Pennsylvania Autism Services, Education, Resources & Training Collaborative (ASERT) has announced the launch of a statewide resource center to provide streamlined access to information for the estimated 30,000 Pennsylvanians living with autism.
April 17, 2013
The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute formally launched at Drexel in 2012 as the first autism research center in the country focused on public health science.
April 17, 2013
From the iconic T-Rex at the entrance to the active fossil prep lab tucked away in the back corner, Dinosaur Hall at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is a delight for the senses of many fans of Earth’s mightiest extinct creatures. Except when a sensory experience isn’t such a delight.
April 12, 2013
On 20 March, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the results of a parent survey suggesting that two percent of children in the country are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
February 20, 2013
“We’re going to need an autism-friendly building.” Dr. Jennifer Plumb, a clinical social worker, made this comment mid-way through a tour of the future home of the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute on Market Street in University City, Philadelphia.
Dr. Craig Newschaffer and Team Receive Autism Speaks Grant
January 23, 2013
Dr. Craig Newschaffer, a professor at the Drexel University School of Public Health (SPH), recently received a $300,000 grant from Autism Speaks to study the association between autism risk and prenatal exposure to flame-retardant chemicals.