Western Michigan University is launching a new program in early childhood special education, with the help of a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The grant will fund 10 students as they earn master’s degrees in behavioral analysis and another 10 as they study early childhood general and special education.
The program is part of Project SHINE, a collaboration between WMU's College of Education and Human Development and College of Arts and Sciences.
Associate Professor Emily Curiel co-leads the project.
She said the graduates from the program will help young children with communicative and behavioral disabilities like autism.
“We're trying to improve their lives, improve the skills that these young children have so that they can, you know, learn to communicate, engage in adaptive skills, play, show preferences, things like that.”
Curiel said Western is set to receive the grant over the next five years, with the first cohort of 10 students set start this summer.
WMU did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether President Donald Trump’s plan to close the Department of Education will affect the grant.
Michael reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
