Swank Autism Center
Advocating for and Partnering With the Autism Community
The Swank Autism Center provides high-quality care for autistic children and their families.ÌýWe make sure our services, research, training and community partnerships are created with and supported by autistic people and their caregivers.
Our research areas and clinical practice are linked — each impacts the other. Our goal is to develop services and systems that help autistic children and adults, as well as their caregivers, thrive in their communities.Ìý
We do all this by providing custom care, helping healthcare systems be more accepting of neurodivergent people, developing creative pathways to diagnoses, promoting strong autistic identities, and giving children the tools they need to become successful adults.
Through collaboration with other researchers and a generous grant, we aim to help transform children’s health for the better.
Focus Areas
Our center concentrates research efforts within four key focus areas:
- Custom care:ÌýWe design specialized clinical approaches that address the unique needs, cultural contexts and barriers faced by minoritized families seeking autism services. This helps ensure equitable access to quality care.
- Neurodivergent acceptance and neurodiversity affirming strategies:ÌýWe work to transform healthcare environments into spaces that embrace and celebrate neurological differences. This moves us away from deficit-based models toward systems that support autistic individuals' natural ways of being.
- Diagnostic access or diagnostic pathways:ÌýWe are developing streamlined, evidence-based diagnostic systems that enable primary care providers to improve access and develop pathways to diagnosis earlier and more accurately. This leads to more timely intervention and support.
- Healthy development:ÌýWe support autistic youth in building the skills, relationships and independence needed for a fulfilling adult life.
Our Leadership
Brian Freedman, PhD
Director, Swank Autism Center
Research Team
ResearchÌýPartnershipsÌý
We expand our knowledge and leverage diverse perspectives with partnerships and collaborations within and outside our field of study. We collaborate with the Jefferson Autism Center for Excellence to examine barriers to autism services for Latinx families, and we work with the on testing the effectiveness of web-based intervention during early diagnosis.
Grants & Awards
Our research is recognized and validated through generous grants. This support moves us forward and allows us to meaningfully contribute to scientific discovery. Our team has recently been awarded:Ìý
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Opt In - Implementation and Evaluation of an Early Intervention Program for Children Waiting to Receive an Autism Diagnosis (2025-2029) | Freedman, B. (PI), Vivanti, G. (PI) | $129,802
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
Testing Design Thinking Methodology to Engage Hispanic and Latino Families of Autistic Children in Research (2023-2026) | Freedman, B. (PI), Rios-Vega, L. (PI) | $53,545
Health Research and Services Administration (HRSA)
Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND)Ìý(2026) | Freedman, B. (PI), Mineo, B. (PI) |Ìý$144,730
Swank Foundation
Swank Autism Grant (2018-2028) | Freedman, B. (PI) | $5,000,000
91´óÉñ Department of Pediatrics
Academic Pediatric Preeminence Leading to Excellence (APPLE) Awards (2025) | Perry, B.A. (PI), Harrison, M.L. (PI) | $60,000
Related Research & Clinical Focus
Centers at 91´óÉñ often align with research areas, affiliated labs, and clinical programs to support discovery and care systemwide.
Autism Center, Delaware Valley
CLINICAL CARE
Comprehensive autism care including diagnosis, therapy, and family support provided through a specialized center in Delaware Valley.
Behavioral Health Research
RESEARCH AREA
We develop models and tools that support children’s emotional health through evidence-based care, digital interventions, and family-centered strategies.
