ORONO (AP) — A new institute is opening at the University of Maine for educators and others who work with children with autism and post-secondary students seeking to follow that path.

The Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research will open Jan. 1 at the UMaine campus in Orono.

Maine families will also be able to get services and resources through the institute to help them better understand autism.

The institute plans to host professional development workshops and webinars, create roadmaps of the various services available from birth to adulthood and provide family to family mentoring.

It’s a partnership of the Maine Department of Education and the university’s College of Education and Human Development.