The RCN Application and Contract Forms page will be updated regularly as forms and links become available. Please review the following upcoming deadlines.

Baseline Data was due November 11, 2022. Be sure to collect the following data:

Please contact your START RCN Representative or Jana Benjamin if you have any questions or need assistance.

Reminder! Enter your Fiscal Agent Information, Report Contact Information, RCN Leadership, and District Representatives on the 22-23 RCN Contacts spreadsheet located in your Google Drive Folder. START will send RCN update emails to the District Representatives and RCN leadership.  

Update your spreadsheet throughout the year to ensure your RCN Leadership and RCN District Representatives receive RCN Updates from START.

Please visit the START website for the events and trainings for 2022-2023. We are pleased to offer the following trainings in different formats throughout the upcoming school year:

We are excited to announce dates and topics for our virtual Transforming Transition Together (T3) Training Series! Each standalone training will be held from 4:00 - 5:15 p.m.

Registration is open! Let's start the transformation! Visit the START website to view the dates and topics for the remainder of the year. 

If you are unable to attend one of the sessions, or are interested in viewing the materials shared at one of the sessions, you can find T3 training materials here on our website. Materials will be updated as they become available. 

22nd Annual START Conference
May 1, 2023; 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center

Spring RCN Leadership Day
May 2, 2023; 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center

The EPLI Level 1 Trainer of START Content Application deadline for 2022-2023 has passed. The 2023-2024 application will be available in the summer of 2023.

Current EPLI Level 1 Trainers of START Content may participate in any portion of the Trainer Focus Course(s) to familiarize themselves with revisions to the PBIS and Educational Strategies modules and to strengthen their knowledge and skills.

View information under the Current Trainers dropdown here for the schedule for the year and to sign up to participate.

As a reminder, all RCN have access to the RCN Trainer Portal, which is a status log of each RCN's Current Trainers, Inactive Trainers, and New Applicants. You can find information about accessing your RCN's Trainer Portal here.

Please visit the START website for information and meeting dates for the Communities of Practice. If you have any questions about a CoP, please contact your RCN Leadership Representatives or your START RCN representative.

START has the following available for ordering at no cost to the RCN:

START will collect orders for these items from the first through the third week of each month. All items will ship following the order window. The order form is available here.

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 listed 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 trainings will be posted here on the START website as they are received. Please share this with your local contacts. 

Be There For Each Other Through Coaching:

What is the key to high-performing teams, especially during times of physical and emotional exhaustion? According to Simon Sinek, “It’s their willingness to be there for each other.” At START, we view coaching as an important way to “be there for each other” as we work together to implement the evidence-based practices that are essential for students with autism and other support needs. Read more about coaching here!

Critical Question #2

Whose perspectives do we still need to ensure equity in this work?

Consider that you have reflected on whose perspectives are currently making decisions at the table. Maybe you have discovered that there is little diversity of perspective. While some ideas or actions might be slightly different than yours, in general, the shared experiences are very similar. You might have questioned why this is a problem since your team takes pride in how efficiently and effectively work is completed. The alignment in perspective allows for easy collaboration and consensus. 

According to Scientific American, when members of our group or team are diverse, we anticipate differences of opinion. As a result, we actually work harder cognitively and socially to come to consensus, which leads to better outcomes. To create a more inclusive environment, we must seek and genuinely welcome diverse perspectives and experiences in our work with students with autism and their families, as well as act upon the collective voice of the disability community, “Nothing about us, without us.”

We invite you to explore this question in more depth by reviewing activities, resources, and START’s commitment related to this question.

The 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