Elissa Ball is a former data analysis intern for Spectrum. Prior to coming here, she worked in the Yonkers Public Library and as a tutor for Kaplan Test Prep. She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, with a minor in mechanical engineering, from the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
Elissa Ball
From this contributor
Why autism training for police isn’t enough
Inconsistent and underfunded training programs may hurt more than they help, experts say.
Why autism training for police isn’t enough
By
Elissa Ball, Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky
26 November 2020 | 16 min read
Autistic and non-autistic youth get different healthcare as they age
Young people with autism receive more mental health services, more consistent primary care and less gynecological or urgent care than their neurotypical peers.
Autistic and non-autistic youth get different healthcare as they age
By
Elissa Ball
23 September 2020 | 3 min read
Almost one-third of autistic children in the United States live in poverty
Children younger than age 5 and Black and Hispanic children on the spectrum experience the most financial hardships.
Almost one-third of autistic children in the United States live in poverty
By
Elissa Ball
19 August 2020 | 1 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Journal retracts two papers evaluating ADHD interventions
Frontiers in Public Health retracted one paper for its “unacceptable level of similarity” to another paper, and the other over concerns about its “scientific validity.”
Journal retracts two papers evaluating ADHD interventions
Frontiers in Public Health retracted one paper for its “unacceptable level of similarity” to another paper, and the other over concerns about its “scientific validity.”
By
Calli McMurray
6 November 2025 | 5 min read
Constellation of studies charts brain development, offers ‘dramatic revision’
The atlases could pinpoint pathways that determine the fate of cells linked to neurodevelopmental conditions.
Constellation of studies charts brain development, offers ‘dramatic revision’
The atlases could pinpoint pathways that determine the fate of cells linked to neurodevelopmental conditions.
By
Holly Barker
5 November 2025 | 6 min read
Daniel Nicholson discusses how Schrödinger’s book ‘What is Life?’ shaped years of biology, research
Combing through historical archives, Nicholson discovered what drove Erwin Schrödinger to pen “What Is Life,” his famous "little book": Schrödinger feared that new discoveries in quantum physics would influence how we think about free will.
Daniel Nicholson discusses how Schrödinger’s book ‘What is Life?’ shaped years of biology, research
Combing through historical archives, Nicholson discovered what drove Erwin Schrödinger to pen “What Is Life,” his famous "little book": Schrödinger feared that new discoveries in quantum physics would influence how we think about free will.
By
Paul Middlebrooks
5 November 2025 | 1 min read