Resource and Tool Database
| Title | Description | Keywords | Format | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peer to Peer Secondary Curriculum: Reimagined | Peer to Peer Secondary Curriculum: Reimagined is an updated curriculum that provides quality, engaging, and age-appropriate content for Peer to Peer high school courses. Educators can take this content that is focused on neurodiversity and strengths of those with disabilities and distribute it using the Teacher Portal, which includes tools and resources to deliver content to students. | Peer to Peer, Peer to Peer Secondary Curriculum | Google Site | |
| Elementary Peer to Peer Program Fidelity Checklist | The Elementary Peer to Peer Program Fidelity Checklist provides step-by-step instructions for the development of peer support programs in elementary settings along with links to resources to help build and enhance peer supports to improve outcomes for all students. | Peer to Peer, Outcomes, Fidelity | Document | |
| Secondary Peer to Peer Program Fidelity Checklist | The Secondary Peer to Peer Program Fidelity Checklist provides step-by-step instructions for the development of peer support programs in secondary settings along with links to resources to help build and enhance peer supports to improve outcomes for all students. | Peer to Peer, Outcomes, Fidelity | Document | |
| Behavioral Skills Training (BST): A Strategy for Training and Coaching |
Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is an evidence-based package to systematically train and coach a wide range of skills. The literature on this evidence-based strategy is quite broad and demonstrates effectiveness for children and adults across many skills, and may be used individually or in a group format. |
START Connecting, Article, BST, Model, Behavior | Article | |
| Behavioral Expectations for Early Childhood Classrooms | What if we told you there is a universal strategy that is beneficial for all children in an early childhood setting that is relatively simple to implement and we have a set of materials available to get started? This approach has plenty of research to support its effectiveness... | START Connecting | Article | |
| Peer to Peer and Unified Champion Schools Collaboration | How do you create a culture in your school that promotes friendships and inclusiveness for all students 365 days a year? A collaboration between START’s Peer to Peer and Special Olympics’ Unified Champion Schools (UCS) is a powerful resource that accomplishes all of those goals... | START Connecting | Article | |
| PLS Teaching Foundational Behaviors for School Success | Do your preschoolers share with other children? Do they consistently look when a teacher calls their name? What about asking for help or following directions? Many children need explicit instruction and multiple practice opportunities to learn these skills, especially as they prepare for kindergarten... | START Connecting | Article | |
| Together We Thrive All Students Benefit as Peer Supports | Who are the LINK students in your Peer to Peer programs? You might be inclined to invite high-performing students to participate as peer supports. After all, these are the students who are engaged in classes and can serve as “ideal” role models. However, the data from the START Project peer outcomes study... | START Connecting | Article | |
| Transition Planning for Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults | Intentional planning and preparation for the future can result in more positive outcomes for autistic youth transitioning to adulthood (Test et al., 2020). This is a multi-faceted process that takes place over time versus discrete events and involves the student... | START Connecting | Article | |
| Peer to Peer Support Is a Participation Model | Whether you’ve supported a Peer to Peer program for one semester, or for multiple years, you have undoubtedly seen the powerful impact on relationships, school culture, and lived experiences... | START Connecting | Article | |
| Meet Holly Miller | Hello, my name is Holly Miller. I am an autistic self-advocate from Grand Rapids and consultant for the START ASD 365 campaign. Here is my story. | START Connecting | Article | |
| When Words Matter | Beginning in the 1970s, Autism Awareness week was a way to raise awareness about autism at a time when the known prevalence of autism was 1 in 2,500 and it was considered an uncommon childhood disorder... | START Connecting | Article | |
| Autism 365 Inclusion Equity Every Day | The START ASD 365: Inclusion and Equity Every Day campaign was formed in the spring of 2021 in response to the need for greater intention regarding neurodiversity, inclusivity, equality, and acceptance... | START Connecting | Article | |
| Girls with Autism We Have So Much to Learn | Girls with autism are amazing and unique in their own ways, just like boys with autism. They have strengths and challenges, just like boys. However, their autism manifests in ways that can be quite different from boys... | START Connecting | Article | |
| Promoting Inclusion and Belonging Everyday | Inclusion is a word that can evoke various images and meanings to each one of us. Meaningful inclusion is demonstrated when people with disabilities are involved in natural, everyday activities and given opportunities to be involved in ways similar to their peers who do not have a disability... | START Connecting | Article | |
| ABA in Schools Understanding the Fundamentals to Effectively Use ABA | If you work in schools, you have likely used practices from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), even if you did not know it. This includes a wide range of practices such as: using high frequency opportunities to respond when teaching a lesson, providing practice with specific feedback, conducting progress monitoring in a reading intervention to guide next steps, using a prompt hierarchy, and teaching communication using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Fundamentally, evidence-based instruction and behavior support have a basis in ABA. | START Connecting | Article | |
| LRE and Belonging Practices Across the Lifespan | To create inclusive environments that foster belonging, we can no longer consider it standard practice for students, from early childhood to adulthood, to be removed from their natural settings because of a label, test scores, behavior, or ways of communicating (Taub, 2021). | START Connecting | Article | |
| Pyramid Model | This month, we are spotlighting the Pyramid Model and its importance in early childhood programming. If you are new to the model or want to learn more, we are offering a two-hour introductory training on May 8, 2026. To pique your interest, we are sharing a brief overview of the Pyramid Model and their resources. | START Connecting | Article | |
| Transition Empowering Students Through Self-Determination | Student empowerment is important for all students, with and without disabilities, for achieving greater independence. It involves helping students make choices and decisions that prepare them for the transition out of high school and to adulthood. I’m Determined is a comprehensive resource with tools and supports to promote self-determination with students from early childhood through young adulthood. | START Connecting | Article | |
| A Joint Statement on the Use of Prompting | Prompting is a tool for teaching that may be used to assist anyone learning a skill. It is especially important for learners who may need additional cues to accelerate learning and reduce errors and frustration... | START Connecting | Article |
Page last modified October 5, 2026