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
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Figuring out how the brain uses information from visual neurons may require new tools. I asked 10 neuroscientists what experimental and conceptual methods they think we’re missing.
The visual system’s lingering mystery: Connecting neural activity and perception
Figuring out how the brain uses information from visual neurons may require new tools. I asked 10 neuroscientists what experimental and conceptual methods they think we’re missing.
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Grace Lindsay
13 October 2025 | 5 min read
New questions around motor neurons and plasticity
A researcher’s theory hangs muscle degeneration on a broken neural circuit.
New questions around motor neurons and plasticity
A researcher’s theory hangs muscle degeneration on a broken neural circuit.
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David Adam
10 October 2025 | 11 min listen
Boosting SCN2A expression reduces seizures in mice
A modified form of CRISPR amps up expression of the gene—a strategy that could apply to other gene variations linked to autism.
Boosting SCN2A expression reduces seizures in mice
A modified form of CRISPR amps up expression of the gene—a strategy that could apply to other gene variations linked to autism.
By
Charles Q. Choi
9 October 2025 | 5 min read