Lindsay Shea, DrPH

Director of the Policy and Analytics Center in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute and Associate Professor

Expertise autism health care policy

Shea leads autism-focused projects at the local, state, federal and international levels using innovative analytic strategies developed in the Policy and Analytics Center to support the development of effective social and health policy across the United States. Shea was the first to author the Pennsylvania Autism Census Report and her research interests include creating and using an evidence base in forming, evaluating and implementing social and health policies.

Shea is the interim leader of the Life Course Outcomes Research Program, in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Her work focuses on delivering information that empowers families, communities and organizations to create a world where people on the autism spectrum are valued and supported as contributing members of the community.

More about Shea

In The News

Study: Birthing People With IDD Are Younger With Poorer Obstetric, Mental Health

Sep 4, 2024

Lindsay Shea, DrPH, director of the Policy and Analytics Center and professor in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, was quoted in a Sept. 4 Pharmacy Times article about a recent study she led on perinatal and postpartum outcomes among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism.

Study Reveals Pregnancy Challenges for Those With Intellectual Disabilities

Aug 22, 2024

Lindsay Shea, DrPH, director of the Policy and Analytics Center and professor in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, quoted in an Aug. 22 HealthDay article about recent study she led on perinatal and postpartum outcomes among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism.

Youth With Autism Are More Likely To Be Arrested. A Nevada Judge Wants to Remedy That

Feb 12, 2024

Research on interactions between autistic youth and the criminal justice system led by Lindsay Shea, DrPH, director of the Policy, Analytics and Community Research program and professor in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, was mentioned in a Feb. 12 NPR story about a specialty court program to address the behaviors of at-risk juvenile offenders with autism in Nevada.

Celebrating Women in Autism Science

Feb 10, 2023

Lindsay Shea, DrPH, director of the Policy, Analytics and Community Research program and professor in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, was featured in a Feb. 10 Spectrum News story highlighting 31 women autism researchers and scientists to mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Five Tips for Translating Research Findings Into Smart Public Policy

Oct 11, 2022

Lindsay Shea, DrPH, director of the Policy and Analytics Center and professor in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, was quoted in an Oct. 11 Spectrum News article about tips for translating research findings into public policy that creates change and has impact.

Beyond the Bench: A Conversation With Lindsay Shea

Mar 11, 2022

Lindsay Shea, DrPH, director of the Policy and Analytics Center and professor in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, was featured in a March 11 Spectrum story about her work in the Autism Institute and turning research outcomes into policy that will affect change.

Pitfalls in Using Autism Claims Data: Q&A With Lindsay Shea

Dec 14, 2021

Lindsay Shea, DrPH, director of the Policy and Analytics Center and professor in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, was quoted in a Dec. 14 Spectrum article about the various ways researchers tap insurance claims data and how best to standardize those practices to improve health services for autistic people.

Study: Autistic Adults May Be at a Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19

Sep 10, 2021

Lindsay Shea, DrPH, director of the Policy and Analytics Center and assistant professor, and Whitney Schott, PhD, an assistant research professor, both in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, were quoted in a Sept. 10 Very Well Health article about their recently published research that found autistic individuals have an increased risk of COVID-19 infection.

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four wooden blocks with the letters ADHD

Rates of ADHD Remain High into Adulthood Among Patients with Autism

Feb 12, 2025

In a study of more than 3.5 million adults, researchers from Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and George Washington University (GWU) found that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was highly elevated among adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

newspaper clippings stating an affordable housing crisis and related economic news and spare change

Number of Autistic Individuals Enrolled in Medicaid and Receiving Federal Housing Support Increased by 70% From 2008-16

Jan 8, 2025

Researchers from Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute examined how many autistic people in the United States received housing support from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to explore their experiences and health outcomes.

Four sets of hands pushing wooden gears together on a table

A.J. Drexel Autism Institute Study Highlights Key Challenges and Opportunities in Transitioning Autistic Individuals into Adulthood

Oct 17, 2024

The Autism Transitions Research Project, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration and led by Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, has released new findings that underscore critical challenges and opportunities in transitioning autistic youth into adulthood.

Pregnant person laying down holding their belly while a doctor stands with a clip board and white coat in the background.

Warning Signs: National Data Indicate that Autistic Birthing People Are at Increased Risk for Postpartum Anxiety and Depression

Aug 15, 2024

Researchers from Drexel University’s Policy and Analytics Center in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute examined Medicaid data to identify perinatal and postpartum outcomes among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism.

Paper cut outs of a home and family of three under a Medicaid umbrella

Number of At-Risk Youth with Intellectual Disability and Autism in the U.S. Foster Care System is Growing

Feb 12, 2024

Recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, researchers at Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, in collaboration with George Mason University’s Department of Social Work and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work, engaged an intersectional analysis to examine foster care involvement among youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (including autism) and how it has evolved in the United States using a cross-section of 2016 national Medicaid claims data.

Illustration shows 1 out of 100 people highlighted

Nearly 99% of Autistic Adults Not Receiving Public Employment Services in the U.S.

Aug 9, 2023

From 2008-16 an estimated 1.98 million autistic adults — or 99%, of those who likely needed employment services — did not receive support through Medicaid or Vocational Rehabilitation Administration, a new study from Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute finds.

Text reads CAPS: Community Autism Peer Specialist over image of man and woman sitting in front of computer

Autistic Voices Needed: A.J. Drexel Autism Institute Awarded Grant for Innovative Autistic Support Services Research

Apr 18, 2023

The Policy, Analytics and Community Research Program at Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute and Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion collaborated to enhance a unique intervention optimizing supports delivered by autistic adults to other autistic adults and expand the intervention in Philadelphia.

Latest National Autism Indicators Report Explores Autistic Individuals’ Use of Medicaid Across the Lifespan

Mar 14, 2023

In the latest edition of the National Autism Indicators Report series, researchers at Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute explore how autistic individuals use Medicaid and how their service use changes across the lifespan – from infants to older adults – using data from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) from 2008-2016.

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