Welcome Back! What’s New at START for 2026–2027
This article originally appeared in START Connecting in September 2026.
Welcome to a new school year! Whether you are settling into a new routine or already well underway, we are excited to reconnect with you.
This year brings a variety of training opportunities, new and updated resources, changes to the Effective Practices Leadership Initiative (EPLI), and an expanded website. Here’s a look at what’s new and what’s coming up!
Paths to Learning
Our training framework gives you the opportunity to direct your professional learning experience through flexible options and formats. The live learning pathway includes trainings, training series, bootcamps, the annual conference, and Communities of Practice (CoP), while our growing self-paced pathway includes Learning Bites, recorded webinars, and self-paced courses.
Registration is now open for 2026–2027 Trainings and Training Series, with several new opportunities this year, including:
- Early Childhood Practice-Based Coaching Series
- Behavior Series
- Instructional Strategies & Academic Engagement Series
- Meeting Mechanics and Implementation: Team-Based Problem Solving
- Proactive Approaches to Behavior: Scripts and Strategies for De-Escalation
- Autism and Social Communication
New and Upcoming START Resources
We also have new resources that can be used by educators, coaches, community partners, and families. New resources available now include:
- Communication Bill of Rights Microlearning
- Participation Model Webpage
- Peer to Peer Program Self-Reflection Checklist
- Peer Friendship Formula Microlearning
- Label the Need, Not the Person: Understanding Spiky Profiles in Autism Learning Bite
Resources currently in development:
- Early Childhood Strengthening Practices Observation Tool (SPOT)
- Revised Prevent Teach Reinforce Respond (PTRR) Tool
- Coaching STARTs Here Workbook
- Revised Coaching Structure Checklist
- Revised Secondary Transition Self-Paced Learning
- Additional Learning Bite Topics
- Featuring: Elizabeth Biggs, Ph.D., and Erin Turner; Carly Gilson, Ph.D.; Sophia D’Agostino, Ph.D.; and Katie Oswald
EPLI Updates
The Effective Practices Leadership Initiative (EPLI) has several updates for 2026–2027. START has revised the structure of both the Essential Foundations and Early Childhood Bootcamps, added EPLI Advanced Training: Foundations in Peer to Peer, and updated requirements for maintaining status as Current Trainers.
These updates are designed to strengthen foundational content knowledge while continuing to build local capacity to deliver high-quality, evidence-based professional learning.
New Website Structure
You may have noticed that the START website looks a little different. The Autism Education Center (gvsu.edu/autismcenter) now serves as the main hub, with two sections branching from it:
- START Project (gvsu.edu/autismcenter/start)
- Regional Collaborative Networks (RCN) (gvsu.edu/autismcenter/rcn)
This new structure creates clearer pathways, improves accessibility, and gives START the opportunity to expand resources and information. This is just the first step, so you can expect the website to continue growing and improving throughout the year.
Our work continues to expand and evolve based on what we learn from educators, coaches, students, families, and community partners across Michigan. We look forward to learning with you, sharing new resources, and finding new ways to connect throughout the year. Here’s to a great 2026–2027 school year!
Written by: Kellie Fitzgerald, MPNL - Strategic Communications, Design, and Development Specialist
