Registration is filling up quickly for in-person spots at the 25th Annual START Conference: Building on the Past and Designing the Future! If you’re hoping to join us in person, register soon!

If you can't attend in-person, virtual registration is still available so you can join the conference from anywhere. 

📅May 4, 2026
⌚8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
📍Lansing Center

The 25th Annual START Conference will feature Keynote Sessions from Shelley Moore, Ph.D., Elizabeth E. Biggs, Ph.D., and Mateo Moreno! We hope you will join us!

The Spring RCN Leadership Day will be held on May 5, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Lansing Center. Please contact your RCN leadership for more information and registration.

All RCN members are encouraged to invite colleagues to submit this survey, even if they are not connected to a RCN. In this survey, educators will share insights based on their local experiences and current needs in the schools and buildings where they work. 

Thank you for taking the time to share this survey with your colleagues! 

→ We highly encourage the RCN to distribute information about START's 2025-2026 Trainings and Training Series to staff, community members, and families across your region. 

START has developed flyers, images, and slides for the RCN to use and disseminate. 

FAPE in the LRE

📅Date: April 9, 2026
⌚Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom

Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is the foundation of special education. This interactive session helps all school staff-including all teachers, administrators, and support teams—understand what FAPE and LRE means and their role in supporting students with disabilities. Participants will engage in activities and use tools designed to strengthen their ability to support students with disabilities effectively.

25th Anniversary START Speaker Series

📅Date: April 15, 2026
⌚Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Presenter: Amy Ursitti
Title: A Sibling's Perspective on Profound Autism

This presentation offers an in-depth look at profound autism through the lived experience of a sibling. Drawing on personal narrative and family advocacy, the speaker will share what it is like to grow up alongside a brother with profound autism and how this experience shapes family life across childhood, adolescence, and transition to adulthood. Participants will gain insight into the often overlooked needs of individuals with profound autism and their families, including siblings. The session also introduces the work of the Profound Autism Alliance and its mission to ensure that individuals with profound autism are included in advocacy and research.

Increasing Academic Engagement

📅Date: April 24, 2026
⌚Time: 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. OR 4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Topic: Planning Group and Partnership Activities to Optimize Shared Participation (K-12)

This session focuses on strategies designed to optimize shared participation among all learners through group and partnership learning. Ideas for planning, adding structure, and facilitating learning to increase individual contribution and collaboration are embedded. 

Building Strong Foundations: An Introduction to the Pyramid Model for Preschool Educators

📅Date: May 8, 2026
⌚Time: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Location: Zoom

This session introduces preschool educators to the Pyramid Model, a framework for promoting young children’s social-emotional development and preventing challenging behavior. Participants will explore how strong relationships, supportive environments, and intentional teaching practices create a foundation for positive behavior and learning. The training will also highlight practical strategies educators can begin using immediately in their preschool classrooms.

Peer to Peer Lunch & Learn

📅Date: May 13, 2026
⌚Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom

Bring your lunch and join us for a session on how Peer to Peer programs support inclusion, student success, and positive school culture. Designed as a foundation or refresher, this Lunch and Learn introduces key tools like the Peer to Peer Playbooks, the Friendship Formula, and “Participation vs. Helping” models. Participants will leave with ready-to-use resources and time for Q&A to plan next steps for launching or strengthening Peer to Peer in their own setting.

The Statewide Autism Resources and Training (START) Project is funded by the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education and is housed in the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Autism Education Center (AEC). 

START Project | autismed@gvsu.edu | (616) 331-6480