Spring 2016

Welcome to the START 15 Year Celebration
Anthony Ianni, Autism & Anti-Bullying Awareness
Advocate, Michigan Department of Civil Rights
BREAK
START Updates
Project Unify
Celebration LUNCH
Drew’s Journey into Adulthood
Celebration BREAK
Williamston Community Schools Project
Passport Challenge Winners
Wrap Up
WATCH FOR CELEBRATION ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE DAY!

Time to have fun remembering the past for 15 years and looking ahead to…?
Share your favorite START moments!
Post a photo from today!
Tag START or use #STARTLeadershipDay2016
The funniest photo will win a prize at the end of the day!

RCN Leadership Plate Awards
• Creation of Plate Awards –
LINK Paper Plate Awards
• The START Team - RCN’s need their own Plate Awards
• Each plate has been painted by a Michigan Artist who also happens to have ASD

RCN Leadership Plate Awards
• RCN Receives an award for their outstanding contributions to the field of
ASD.
• RCN Member that has gone above and beyond when it comes to START/RCN
Expectations.

RCN Leadership Plate Awards
• START Staff is absolutely amazed by the incredible talent of the RCN
Members.
• Ability to take a concept and create something that is truly powerful for students with ASD and their families is beyond compare.
• It is with great pride that the START
Team presents you with this award.

RCN Leadership Plate Awards
• RCN Plate - Traveling Award
• Each RCN Member will nominate a person for the award and then present the award at the
September and January RCN Meetings.
• RCN Plate Presented Each Semester to a RCN member who has gone above and beyond

RCN Leadership Plate Awards
• Once the RCN Member receives the award they will sign the back of the plate so there will be a running record of who has won the award. The award can be won more than one time
• RCN Award Recipient will keep the plate until the next semester

START Project Leadership Award
Kellie Fitzgerald
• Amazing Attention to Detail
• Calm Demeanor Even In Sheer Chaos
• Superb Organizational Skills
• Respect of START Team Members Time and
Schedules
• Changing Last Name is Unacceptable
• Thanks Kellie for Helping to Make this
Leadership Day Happen

List the RCN here for video and plate award

Livingston Education Autism Network
LEAN
• Extremely Successful
Coaching Model
• Enhancing Data Collection
Procedures to Support
Classroom Teachers
• Willingness to be a START guinea pig
• Differentiation 4.0
By Luke Depuydt

Kent County Autism Network
Kent CAN
• Peer to Peer at the Ball Park
• Distribution of Responsibilities (Work Groups)
• Initiation of BYF
• RCN Meeting EBP Presentations
By Anna Post

Collaborative Autism Network for Genesee County Area
CAN4GCA
• Training Innovations (Mini IT / County-Wide)
• Extensive Coaching Model & Trainings
• Coaching Newsletter
• Peer to Peer Expansion
By Taylor Hoffman

Advocate, Michigan Department of Civil Rights
Autism & Anti-
Bullying
Awareness

List the RCN here for video and plate award

Northern Autism Network
NAN
• Biggest RCN in terms of # of ISDs
• THE Most Collaborative Group of Professionals
• Systematic Training and Coaching to meet their diverse and geographic needs
• Opportunities to Share and Learn at the RCN
(e.g. peer to peer strategies
By Kasey Fitzpatrick

Capital Region Autism Network
CRAN
• Ellen Gehl – Leading the way with most responses to START Posts
• CRAN first to set up website
• Extremely Successful - Passport with families and students
• Coaches - Target Student Data Form
• Peer to Peer TA at the RCN Level
• Ingham has Peer to Peer Support Programs in all Districts – Go CRAN
• Community Conversations in Eaton County –
Excellent Job
By Morgan Cowell

List the RCN here for video and plate award

Washtenaw Interagency Network
WIN4AUTISM
• Evaluation Process Improvement (EC)
• Systematic Coaches Meetings
• Training First Responders
By Jody VanMiddlekoop
• Community Partners Collaboration

Lakeside RCN
• Excellent Parent Collaboration – Macomb / St.
Clair Autism Society
• Hosted most participants in BYF – resulting in the most driver’s licenses
• IT Organization Extraordinaire
• PEER TO PEER Expansion
By Anthony Collar

Southwest Michigan Autism Resources Team
SMART RCN
• Most consistent, collaborative, SMART leadership group
• Rural, suburban, urban – they do it all
• Parent representative at every meeting
• Every county engaged in meeting all goals
• Peer to peer programs at multiple levels in every county
By Stephen Cain

Spring Leadership Day 2016

START Updates:
Resources and Information
• START Website – see the changes to the
Resource page and watch for more
• START K-12 IT Video recordings of trainings
(Resources page)
• START Connecting Newsletter – sign up
• START RCN Facebook Page

Sign Up for the START Newsletter www.gvsu.edu/autismcenter

START Updates:
2016-17 START IT Sites
• Early Childhood – SMAC RCN host site in
Jackson County
• K-12 – Gratiot-Isabella RESD host site
• Building Your Future (BYF) – Kent CAN host site in Grand Rapids

START Updates:
2017-18 START IT Sites
• Early Childhood – OCAN RCN in Oakland
County
• K-12 – 1) Lakeside RCN in Macomb County
2) SMART RCN in Van Buren County
• Building Your Future (BYF) – TBD

• 2016 Fall Leadership: November 7th
• 2017 Conference and RCN Leadership Day:
TBD
Watch the START Events page for ‘16-17 training dates

START Updates:
Trainer Summer Institute 2016
When Tues, June 21 st , 10:00am – 4:00pm
Wed, June 22 nd , 8:30am – 3:30pm
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Grand Rapids Where
What • Update on Educational Supports & Strategies,
Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports, and other core modules.
• Introduction of revised Coaching Checklist
Who Each RCN can send up to 6 active EPLI trainers
*include alternates if requesting more than 6
Registration Coordinated through RCN

START Updates:
What’s Coming Up
Due July 15th

START Updates:
Submitting Target Student Data
• Use the survey monkey link for the END OF
YEAR Target student data for K-12 and BYF
• For the link, go to the RCN Application and
Report Forms page of the START website
• Available now; due by June 15 th

START Updates:
RCN Application 2016-2017
Changes?
Goal 1: None
Goal 2: Revised Coaching Checklist
Goal 3: None
Goal 4: None
Goal 5: Emphasis on connecting with Michigan
Alliance for Families and Parent Partners
Now available on the START website  RCN Applications and
Report Forms

Autism Council
Secondary Transition Programs

Transition & Adult Services Committee
DRAFT
RECOMMENDATIONS
Co-Chairs:
Stacie Rulison and Maureen Ziegler

Transition Checklist
• 10 Recommendations for Secondary Transition
Programs Educating Students with ASD
(Checklist Format)
• Recommendations Document from the Adult
Services and Secondary Transition Council

10 Recommendations for
Students with ASD Educated in
Secondary Transition Programs
Relevance
Research
Recommendations

Recommendations
• Attend START Building Your Future Training
• Discovery as a Recommended Class for All
Students with ASD in Secondary Transition
Programs
• Self Management Systems for Each Student with
ASD
• Visual Supports Implemented with every Student with ASD
• Teach Information regarding Public Transportation and Information from the “What Every Driver
Should Know” to Address the Knowledge Test
Needed to Obtain the Temporary Instruction Permit

Recommendations
• State Identification Card
• Independent Access to Transportation
• Internship Positions Prior to Exit
• Paid Employment Position Prior to Exit
• Technology & Social Navigation
• Socially-acceptable Dress
• Hygiene

List the RCN here for video and plate award

Great Lakes Bay
• Systematic
Implementation of Mini-IT
• IEP Coaching Model
• Creative Transition
Priorities
• Training and Broad Use of
Relevant Data
By Austin White

Upper Peninsula Autism Network
UPAN
• 1 st RCN – Developed the Idea
• Peer to Peer Innovations
• Broad use of Meeting
Mechanics
• Parent / School Collaborative
Trainings
By Max Blackwood

List the RCN here for video and plate award

South Michigan Autism Collaborative
SMAC
• Unwavering Commitment to Improvement
• Cross-State Intensive Training Collaboration
• Peer to Peer IT
• Literacy Book Study
By Jody VanMiddlekoop

Thumb Area RCN
• Yearly Parent Retreat
• Systematic Coaches Trainings
By Leonard Rojas
• Discovery as THE Transition Assessment
• Approach Barriers with Tenacity

West Michigan Autism Collaborative
West MAC
• Most changes to the RCN map
• Supported all 3 levels of START IT in past 4 years
• Large groups at mini-IT for multiple years
• Most creative RCN team member table tents
By Sydney Wassink

Williamston Peer to Peer

RCN Priorities 2016-17
1. Professional Development with Impact
2. Coaching for Implementation of EBP
3. Secondary Transition
4. Peer to Peer Support
5.
Family and Community Engagement

Regional Collaborative Networks
Connecting with MAF Parent Mentors
1. RCN representatives can serve as a contact about resources and info in schools
2. MAF Parent Mentor can attend RCN meetings to learn about RCN priority activities for the year and share what is happening with MAF and families in the local area
3. Develop a plan focused on critical issues in the local area and discuss ways to work together (e.g. behavior support in schools)
4. Attend trainings offered by RCN and invite RCN to attend
MAF trainings
5. Attend RCN planning meetings around April-June to plan for next school year (RCN application to START)
6. START Intensive Training - Parent Liaison attend trainings and connect with families

Increase Parent Collaboration with
START Intensive Trainings
2016-2017
K-12 Intensive Training
• Gratiot-Isabella RESD Host Site
BYF Secondary Transition Training
• Kent ISD
Areas of Consideration
• Process to assist IT site for engaging families
• Lunch and/or evening sessions for families
• Build distribution of families for ongoing communication
• Surveys to school teams and families to collect pre and post-training data

List the RCN here for video and plate award

Oakland County Autism Network
OCAN
• Creativity in organizing OCAN and
Coaching Meetings – Where there is a roadblock, there is a solution
• Incredible way of collecting information from 28 local school districts and 29 charters to report back to START.
• K-12 Intensive Training and BYF Back to
Back – OCAN is organized
• 11 Pre-Post Target Student Data Forms completed in one district (Large District)
By Adrieonna Roy

Wayne RACE
(Regional Autism Collaboration for Excellence)
• Creative Community Conversations
• Innovative Peer to Peer Support
• Use of Social Media
• PAC Collaboration
By Olivia Grendon

Central Michigan Autism Collaborative
CMAC
• Extremely Successful
Coaching Model (Clinton 1 st in State)
• Pilot USAPT
• Coaching Pilots
• Provide honest raw feedback to the START Team

Monroe Autism Collaborative
MAC
• RCN Goals Developed Using the Board
• Autism Awareness Month— poster contests and more!!
• Mini Grants for Creative Ideas
• Holiday Camp—Peer to Peer
Expansion
By Tedi Jensen

Purpose of Passport
• Common focus outside the confines of general education. Idea came out of work in BYF  skills missed in younger years that impact employment and independent living
• Improve communication & problem solving
• Develop a partnership with parents with common goals / outcomes

Passport
Leader Board
CRAN
SMART
GLB
OCAN
Kent CAN
CMAC
Lakeside
LEAN
West MAC
NAN
UPAN
Thumb
WIN4Autism
Wayne
SMAC
CAN4GCA
MAC
77
66
10
7
4
17
13
11
2
0
4
4
42
40
40
35
20

We can’t wait for the next 15 years!