UNMC’s Munroe-Meyer Institute and UNL’s Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, have been awarded a $1.25 million grant.

The grant is from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. Dr. Teri Mathews, an assistant professor in the MMI Department of Psychology and Pediatrics, says the grant will primarily fund students from UNL’s School Psychology program, so more are trained in the specialized field of autism care for toddlers.

"The School Psychology students already learn a lot about behavioral methods to treat children with autism but this is going to be much more expansive type of program that really focuses on all aspects of care for the youngest children who are diagnosed with autism.”

Mathews says there is now a specialization track for School Psychology students. 

The primary goals of the grant are to provide assessment and diagnostic services, early intervention treatment, and consultation with schools for toddlers with autism spectrum disorders.