Boston University received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to specifically study the difficulty with speaking that many children with autism have. Helen Tager-Flusberg, director of the Autism Center of Excellence explained, "There has been almost no research on this group of children and adults, and we have designed several key projects to address this gap in our knowledge.” Much of the research will focus on developing methods that will help people with autism learn to speak, including technology, brain and behavioral studies, and aspects of Auditory-Motor Mapping Training (AMMT). AMMT uses music – singing and motor activities – as the basis for teaching language skills.

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