NDCPD receives autism grant
Minot State University’s North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities recently received a $761,000 grant from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families to fund the Great Plains Autism Project. The funds are available to NDCPD from September 2009 through February 2011 through Congressionally Directed Funding, which will enable GPAST to address important issues in autism for North Dakota.
"We are very excited about continuing our work on autism in North Dakota through the GPAST grant. The support of Senator Byron Dorgan, Senator Kent Conrad, and Congressman Earl Pomeroy was crucial in obtaining this funding," said Brent Askvig, executive director of NDCPD and the principal investigator of the project.
GPAST will focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure development for the state. The innovation focus will be on using distance telehealth systems in child assessments, follow-up and intervention implementation. Capacity building will address technical assistance, family supports, information and resource dissemination. The infrastructure development piece will also include policy and practice discussions with families, legislators, state-agency staff, universities and other programs to effect change.
For additional information about GPAST, contact Askvig at 858-3052 or brent.askvig@minotstateu.edu or Wendy Thomas, GPAST project director, at 858-4367 or wendy.thomas@minotstateu.edu.
10/22/09