START Project

This module provides participants with a foundation of educational strategies that build upon the strengths of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and lead to successful learning. Participants are provided an opportunity to experience ASD through sensitivity awareness activities which lead to a better understanding of the learning challenges for these students. Participants learn to provide curricular accommodations and modifications so students with ASD can access an appropriate grade-level curriculum. A framework for developing an individualized academic modification and grading plan for a student with ASD as well as practice in creating such a plan is provided.

The differentiated output hierarchy is a systematic, organized approach to support student's active engagement in the general education curriculum. The differentiated output hierarchy supports the concepts defined in differentiated instruction.

The START Project staff are identifying key characteristics impacting literacy for students with ASD and developing tools that may be helpful to supporting students. While students with ASD tend to demonstrate excellent word recognition and decoding skills, there are inherent challenges and impairment in the area of reading comprehension, often due to the fundamental characteristics of the disability.

Many students benefit from seeing and learning about the school before they show up on the first day. Ideas include making a video of the school and its rooms, complete with short interviews with new teachers and/or touring the school themselves and meeting teachers face to face. Students may enjoy reviewing brochures of the school, newsletters from the previous year, and/or looking at the school's website. Scavenger hunts are also a good way for a student to explore the school and find people and places.

• START Transition Checklist
• Back to school tips
• Transitioning to high school tips
• Broken bridges—new school transitions for students with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review on difficulties and strategies for success (article)

Instructions to add audio to Google Slides

Instructions to make a PDF editable

• Hands in Autism at the University of IN: How-to Resources
• National Education Association (NEA): Teaching Students with Autism: A Guide for Educators Toolkit
• Organization for Autism Research (OAR): Educator Resources
• Organization for Autism Research (OAR): Preparing the Classroom for Autistic Students
• Autism Speaks: School Community Toolkit