FSU, UMichigan to share $7-mil autism grant

FSU just nabbed a $7-million federal grant, to be shared with the University of Michigan, that will kick off an unprecedented study of the effectiveness of early intervention in dealing with autistic children.

The grant comes from the National Institutes of Mental Health, and it will allow researchers to focus on children diagnosed with autism by 18 months old. The study is one of the largest of its kind and one of the first to explore intervention in children that young, FSU officials say.

The researchers will recruit 100 toddlers younger than 18 months old who have been diagnosed with autism.

Meanwhile, in a sign of how big the issue of autism is these days, UNF in Jacksonville is about to host a two-week film camp led by John Travolta's director brother Joey that allows autistic children to work alongside their non-autistic peers. It's the first time his camp has been held in Florida, where lawmakers this session passed a law improving health coverage for autistic children.