Welcome to our website! The Life Course Outcomes Research Program, a part of the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, addresses an urgent need to understand how life unfolds across the lifespan for people on the autism spectrum. We study things, other than clinical interventions, that influence things like employment, living arrangements, community participation, access to supports and services, and the transition to adulthood.

Our website is a platform for sharing an expanding array of useful information products from simple fact sheets to our National Autism Indicators Report series. The recently released report Transition into Adulthood is a comprehensive overview of what we know about how life turns out for young adults between high school and their early 20s. It serves as an important reference baseline for assessing national efforts to “move the needle” on transition outcomes. We will regularly produce reports using national data that cover topics relevant to policy and practice. 

The site also features blogs, videos, infographics and news releases. 

In addition to generating reports and creating infographics, we have established a National Autism Data Center with a comprehensive collection of data sets and a secure workspace that will help us become the “Census Bureau” of the autism community - providing expert and accurate analysis of large data sets with information about people on the autism spectrum and their families. 

This website will be updated often, so we encourage you to check back frequently for updates. You can also sign up for our mailing list to stay informed. And follow us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Please also consider supporting our ability to continue this journey. Generous donations from people like you have helped us get this far. We need your help to continue building and improving our ability to measure unmet needs and whether we are succeeding in our quest to support better outcomes.

Best,

Paul T. Shattuck

 Paul Shattuck, PhD, director of the Life Course Outcomes Research Program, studies experiences and services promoting positive life outcomes for people on the autism spectrum, their families and communities.