PSU launches autism evaluation project with $40K grant

PITTSBURG, Kan. (KOAM) - The Psychology & Counseling Department at Pittsburg State University is implementing an interdisciplinary autism evaluation project in Spring 2025, funded by a $40,000 grant from the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE).

The project will help alleviate local waitlists while providing university students with hands-on experience.

Led by Assistant Professor Paige Boydston, the program will offer free evaluations for children ages 1 to 6. Though not a formal diagnosis, the results can guide educational services or be used by pediatricians. The project will evaluate two children per month for up to three years, with plans to expand and assess up to 50 children annually.

“This area is starved for services,” said Boydston, noting the high demand at agencies like the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush and the Leffen Center in Joplin.

The program will also provide training videos for students and plans to eventually expand services to children ages 7 to 10.

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