November 2021
November 2021
Grand Valley State University
RCN Updates & Reminders: September 2021
As always, if you have any questions or need any assistance, please reach out to the START office or anyone on the START team.  

2021-2022 RCN Contract Application and Contract Forms: Recent Deadlines

The RCN Contract Activities Worksheet was due October 29, 2021. The worksheet is available as a Google Doc and a Word Document.

Feedback Opportunities! 

Both the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute and the Michigan Interagency Transition Team (MITT) are seeking feedback. Please read below for more information and share these surveys widely with your networks! 
  • The Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute is seeking what is most important to you so they can meet the needs of Michigan's intellectual and developmental disability community! The survey is intended for anyone that lives or works in Michigan over the age of 18. Learn more and take the survey here.
  • The Michigan Interagency Transition Team (MITT) is seeking input from families and caregivers of youth and children receiving special education services in Michigan to hear about programs that prepare students for life after high school. This input will help to inform needed improvements in how transition planning occurs for students across the state. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and will be open until November 19, 2021. The survey is available here.

2021-2022 START Secondary Transition Training

START intends to offer a Secondary Transition Training during the 2021-2022 school year, with the goal of increasing overall capacity at the RCN level for implementation of evidence-based practice transition supports and services. An interactive framework is being constructed using state and national resources, and there will be technical assistance through coaching support offered during the training.
Accessed on the START website, the Secondary Transition Training will be a self-paced approach for trainers, individuals, and/or teams. There will also be an opportunity to attend a scheduled virtual coaching support session and a half day final webinar to share resources and implementation outcomes.
Schedule for Secondary Transition Self-Paced Training and Resources
  • Registration will open in November.
  • Secondary Transition Webinar Day 1: January 28, 2022, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
  • Self/Team-Paced Learning: January – May, 2022
  • Scheduled Coaching Support Sessions: April 2022
    • Support sessions are 45 minutes and optional.
  • Secondary Transition Webinar Day 2: May 26, 2022, 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.    

Early Childhood: Spring Series 

The START Early Childhood Training series is intended for school-based teams, consisting of 3-6 team members, who support an early childhood classroom or program. The training emphasizes evidence-based practices for teaching and supporting young children in a classroom environment. Increasing learning opportunities and engagement in early childhood settings serves as the foundation for the training and includes classroom structure and activities, effective instructional delivery, behavior support systems, and working as a team. The training will include presentations, videos, application activities, and time for teams to develop plans to implement the systems and strategies. 
Applications to attend the three-day spring session as a team (3-6 team members) will be available later this winter. 
Schedule for the 2022 Early Childhood Spring Series:
  • February 11, 2022
  • March 18, 2022
  • April 22, 2022
  • Venue: Crowne Plaza Lansing West (in-person, circumstances permitting)

START Trainings and Events

Continue to visit the START website for the latest updates and information related to events:  
  • Peer to Peer Statewide Training (virtual)
    • December 7, 2021; 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
    • Registration will open on November 8, 2021. 
  • FAPE in the LRE Statewide Training (virtual)
    • February 3, 2022; 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
    • Registration is open!
  • 21st Annual START Conference (Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center)
    • May 2, 2022; 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
    • Focus: Secondary Transition
  • Spring RCN Leadership Day (Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center)
    • May 3, 2022; 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

2021-2022 EPLI 

EPLI Updates
  1. The EPLI page and forms have been updated for 2021-2022. The deadline for the 2021-2022 EPLI Application is November 4, 2021. 
  2. START has introduced the "EPLI Trainer Corner" to share regular announcements and information with EPLI Level 1 Trainers of START Content. In addition, EPLI Level 1 Trainers of START Content will also receive a newsletter three times a year called "EPLI Trainer Tips and Tidbits." 
  3. Finally, START has also developed a RCN Trainer Portal, which is a status log of each RCN’s Current Trainers, Inactive Trainers, and New Applicants. It is intended to be accessed only by RCN leadership to view START's current EPLI records for each RCN. Details for the Trainer Portal for RCN leadership is available here.
EPLI Veteran Trainer Mentors
A valuable part of the successful EPLI year was the participation by many experienced trainers, who provided guidance, trainer tips, and tidbits to those new to the role of EPLI Trainer of START Content. One of the most requested trainer supports is a connection to a veteran trainer as a mentor. As a first step toward connecting new trainers with veteran trainer mentors, we ask you to consider the following:
RCN Leadership:
  • Take stock of your current active EPLI Trainers of START Content. Who are your experienced, veteran trainers in each module? Who just completed the EPLI process last year?
  • Reach out to your new EPLI Trainers and invite them to attend an RCN meeting or an RCN-sponsored training to begin to meet current trainers
New or Reactivated EPLI Trainers (as of 2020-2021 school year)
  • If you haven't been in contact with your RCN leadership already, reach out to your RCN leadership to let them know that you successfully completed the EPLI Trainer process.
  • Ask about sitting in on a training to observe and meet veteran trainers within the RCN.
Current/Veteran EPLI Trainers:
  • Reach out to a new EPLI Trainer of START Content to welcome them to the role and see if they have any questions or concerns that you can answer. 
Making connections between veteran and new trainers not only provides support and encouragement to those new to this role, it also can reenergize current trainers through the sharing of new ideas, perspectives, examples, and stories. To contextualize a commonly heard quote, “Behind every successful trainer is a tribe of other successful trainers who have their back.”  

Peer to Peer (P2P) Community of Practice (CoP)

The P2P CoP will have meetings on the following dates in 2021-2022:
  • January 19, 2022 - 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. (virtual)
  • April 12, 2022 - 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center)
Each RCN should have at least two representatives participate in the P2P CoP (multi-county RCN may have 1 representative per ISD). 

Sexual Health Community of Practice (CoP)

The Sexual Health CoP will have meetings on the following dates in 2021-2022:
  • December 16, 2021 - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. (virtual)
  • March 17, 2022 - 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. (virtual)
  • May 26, 2022 - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. (virtual)
Each RCN should have at least one representative participate in the Sexual Health CoP. 

RCN Standalone Trainings for the START Website

Each RCN should submit at least one RCN-provided stand-alone training per semester using START content delivered by START EPLI trainers. The training will be included in the events listing on the START website, and should be open to the RCN and the broader region, including families and community partners. Trainings should be submitted here.
The submitted trainings will be posted here on the START website as they are received. Please share this with your local contacts.
Note: Does your RCN have any training webinars or recorded videos that you are willing to share with others? START is seeking any publicly available training webinars or recorded videos to link on our website in order to make them available to a wider audience. If you have any webinars or videos to share, or questions related to this, please contact Kellie Fitzgerald

Accessibility and START Standards

START has created a page to provide tools to assist all those who create or disseminate materials or messages in print or electronically that represent START's brand or image.
We invite our partners and trainers to explore this page to review accessibility guidelines and START formatting standards. 
START common PowerPoint slides and icons/images are also now available on this page for use in presentations.

Printed Flyers Available: About the START Project and Understanding and Supporting the Needs of Students with ASD  

We have two printed flyers available for distribution through the RCN: About the START Project and Understanding and Supporting the Needs of Students with ASD. We will ship flyers to 1 location per ISD/county and in increments of 50. You can request printed copies of these two flyers by submitting this brief form.  

What's Happening at START?

Did you know we have a section on the START Homepage featuring the latest START information, tools, and resources? Check out some of our new updates
  • ASD 365: Inclusion and Equity Every Day 
  • Icons, Images, and Templates for Presentations
  • Updated Elementary Peer to Peer Playbook
  • New LINKS Box: November Edition
  • 2021 FAPE in the LRE Statewide Training
  • 2021 Peer to Peer Statewide Training
  • START-isms: Values to Guide our Work
  • When Words Matter
Statewide Autism Resources and Training (START) Project is funded by the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special 
Education to provide training and technical assistance to educators in Michigan that serve students with ASD.
START Project | autismed@gvsu.edu |
(616) 331-6480
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