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Nazareth College Awarded $1.2 Million Grant To Improve Services For Children With Autism

Nazareth College has been awarded a federal grant of more than a million dollars to improve services for children with autism.

The U.S.  Department of Education  has awarded nearly $1.2 million to Nazareth College to help improve educational and therapeutic services and results for children with autism.

Part of the money will help students studying in an interdisciplinary program in autism with their tuition costs. Officials say the grant will allow the program to build a professional community of teachers and related service providers who are better prepared to support school-aged children with autism.

A co-director of the program says the grant will help Nazareth extend its collaboration with families and other agencies in the local community who are supporting individuals on the autism spectrum.

The program at Nazareth College is called I-SPAN, (Interdisciplinary Specialty Program in Autism), and it's a graduate-level specialization that prepares professionals to work with people with autism across their lifespan.

The grant is spread out over five years, and it's one of only15 projects across the country getting this funding.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.