GVSU-based START Project celebrates 25 years of enhancing educational equity

Grand Valley and state educators gathered at the Lansing Center for the 25th annual START Conference on May 4.

For a quarter century, START, Statewide Autism Resources Training, has enhanced equity and removed barriers to education to meet the needs of students in Michigan.

Housed in GVSU's Autism Education Center, START launched in 2001 with the goal of creating a statewide collaborative project to form inclusive environments and experiences to empower autistic and neurodivergent students.

Amy Matthews, director of the START Project, said she had no idea the project would last 25 years and that she is proud of how the network has grown.

“We're a big state. We could not do it without all of the people out in the field who are doing the work,” she said.

The project splits Michigan into 14 regional collaborator networks. Stephen Gaitens, a special education instructor with Lincoln Park Public Schools, said this setup allows the networks to communicate with each other daily.

“It's an opportunity to bring a lot of us who work in similar fields together to collaborate,” Gaitens said. “It helps us frame our educator outreach and education within our local communities.”

START is rooted in evidence-based practices and provides educators and network members with resources developed specifically to create a more equitable experience in the classroom for all students.

Carrie Carr, a project consultant with START in the Upper Peninsula, said she tends to use the START website three times per day to find resources to connect her teachers with.

The resources provided by START assisted Paige Tiemeyer, a speech language pathologist in Kent County, with understanding different types of needs for students and for instructors.

“It really helped me to have a framework and understanding for different levels of support and what that looks like,” she said. “It's also impacted me [to know] myself and my own support needs and how I can best support students.”

START also provides resources for parents of students with autism. Sharene Nathan, who works with Detroit Public Schools and communicates directly with parents, said the resources for parents help the family control the narrative as their child heads into the classroom.

“We're bridging that gap between academics and family life,” Nathan said. “It looks different for each [parent], but the main thing is that START works effectively for them.”

Shannon Shy, a contractor with START, said one of the most rewarding aspects of the work is the students' reaction to educational empowerment.

“To see the joy that we start creating for the students is just felt by everybody,” she said.