KOMU.com - NewsFullStory

KOMU.com - NewsFullStory: "COLUMBIA - University of Missouri College of Education researchers announced Thursday a new autism curriculum being implemented in two Columbia schools. Researchers are conducting their curriculum in both Lange Middle School and West Junior High. The study is targeting both autistic boys and girls ages eleven to fourteen years old. Janine Stichter, special education professor at MU, said the new intervention curriculum will help autistic students because it focuses on a broad number of social issues that should appeal to kids with different abilities. 'In the past people have said 'oh they have social deficits. We can just use a social skills program in general and hopefully a bunch of that will fit a bunch of kids. Our approach has been to really target the intervention for their specific needs,' Stichter said. The new curriculum also features some computer programming that Stichter hopes will help students in rural areas get the special help they need."