START program expands

The Autism Education Center at Grand Valley State University begins its third year by expanding its statewide network of resources and adding five school districts for the 2003-04 school year.

Five new districts received grants and were named Intensive Training Sites under the Statewide Autism Resources and Training Project (START) at Grand Valley. The districts are Eaton Intermediate School District, Ingham ISD, Farmington Public Schools, Birmingham Public Schools and Oceana ISD.

As an intensive training site, these districts will receive visits throughout the year by autism experts to train teachers, counselors, school psychologists and others who work with students with autism. Experts have identified more than 5,000 Michigan K-12 students with autism.

Other school districts that will continue their contracts as intensive training sites include Clare-Gladwin, Sanilac/St. Clair, Barry ISD, Flint Community Schools, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Roscommon ISD, and seven Upper Peninsula ISDs.

The START Program at Grand Valley was established in 2001 with a $1.25 million grant from the Michigan Department of Education to serve students with autism by supporting their schools and parents. START also coordinates 'best practice sites,' or districts that have model programs for students with autism, and maintains a resource center.