CIDD faculty member Dr. Lauren Turner-Brown, along with colleagues Drs. Kara Hume, Sam Odom and Brian Boyd, has been awarded three years funding to study the efficacy of the Home TEACCHing Program by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Research Program. Dr. Turner-Brown and colleagues will study this early intervention program that targets families with newly diagnosed toddlers with autism spectrum disorders, aiming to teach parents strategies for working and playing with their child, and, ultimately, to improve child functioning during a very critical period of early development for children with autism. A primary goal of the funding agency is to improve health outcomes for children and families in underserved areas, thus Drs. Turner-Brown and colleagues plan to focus their research in rural NC communities.