UNMC Institute Wins $152,855 Grant: Taking the EarliPoint Eye-Tracking Autism Test Rural to Cut Under-5 Diagnosis Waits in Nebraska
The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, Nebraska, announced on November 4 that its Munroe-Meyer Institute has received a $152,855 grant to take an eye-tracking autism diagnostic tool into rural Nebraska clinics and shorten diagnosis waits for young children.
The grant comes from Women Investing in Nebraska (WIN), a collective-giving organization, and was one of two $152,855 awards WIN presented at its annual ceremony in Omaha, totaling $305,710 and funded by the personal contributions of its 419 members. WIN co-chair Lisa Smith said the group has invested in 30 projects over 15 years.
The institute's project, "Increasing Access to EarliPoint to Reduce the Autism Waitlist Crisis," centers on EarliPoint, a diagnostic tool approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that uses eye-tracking to help diagnose autism in children under age 5, and works for both Spanish- and English-speaking children. The project will integrate assessments into existing health care settings and strengthen referral pathways so children in rural and underserved communities are diagnosed and connected to intervention earlier.
"This funding lets us bring EarliPoint, a groundbreaking eye-tracking autism diagnostic tool, directly into the clinics and communities where Nebraska families need it most, cutting wait times and connecting kids with early intervention services sooner," said project lead Rachel Schumacher, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology.
WIN's second grant of the same amount went to Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue of Omaha, which collects excess perishable food from local businesses and delivers it to nonprofit partners serving Nebraskans facing hunger.
(Source: University of Nebraska Medical Center)
Source: University of Nebraska Medical Center
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 内布拉斯加大学医学中心Durham研究中心（资料图）。Declan M. Martin 摄，Public domain，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The Durham Research Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (file photo). Photo by Declan M. Martin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
