Annie Korp

Some autistic teens often adopt behaviors to mask their diagnosis in social settings helping them be perceived — or “pass” — as non-autistic. For the first time, researchers from Drexel University's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute are able to observe brain functions that differ in those who “pass as non-autistic,” which could lead to a better understanding of the cognitive toll of this kind of masking, and of how these individuals could be more effectively supported.

Researchers from Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute examined hospitalizations for mental health conditions in autistic adults to understand what features are associated with an increased risk for readmission to the hospital within a month of the initial discharge.

In a new study, published in PLOS One, autistic adults describe the intense mental effort it takes to navigate nonverbal communication. Researchers from the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute and Rowan University, reviewed 362 firsthand accounts on the online forum WrongPlanet.net, where autistic adults openly talk about communication challenges.

With a looming nursing workforce shortage across the United States, Drexel University is working to make nursing education more accessible in order to support the nursing workforce pipeline. Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions has received generous support from the Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF to create the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship for nursing students.