Purpose:

To bring together educators and leaders to collaborate with START in exploring and discussing research, best practices, and strategies designed to enhance educators’ capacity to support students with complex communication needs as they develop into autonomous communicators.

START Contacts:

Lindsey Harr-Smith

Criteria for Participation:

• Currently taking an active role to support students with complex communication needs in their ISD, district, or building. 
• Willingness to actively contribute to the CoP priorities through participation in meetings and sharing ideas, resources, materials, and practices that align with best practices.
• Willingness to engage in a reasonable number of tasks outside the CoP meetings, such as gathering resources, reviewing materials, or meeting with a small group.

Current Priorities

• Identify and discuss local, state, and national initiatives and priorities focused on communication and literacy and how they are being implemented across the state
• Collaborate with other grand-funded initiatives
• Identify ways of working together to strengthen service delivery supporting students with complex communication needs
• Gather resources to share amongst the group and broadly through START communication tools
• Provide input on the START professional learning opportunities