FSU: National push will help diverse communities target autism

Researchers are enlisting the help of black churches and federally funded nutrition programs in the quest to identify young children who may show signs of autism.

The National Institute of Mental Health has awarded $10.4 million to a team of researchers led by Florida State University Distinguished Research Professor Amy Wetherby to implement a community-based approach to early intervention.

Her team’s five-year, $10.4 million project — “Mobilizing Community Systems to Engage Families in Early ASD Detection & Services” — includes researchers not only at Florida State but also Emory University, Weill Cornell Medical College and Drexel University.