Table 1
School-University Partnership Roles of CTI and ACE.
| CENTER ON TRANSITION INNOVATIONS (CTI) “DISCOVERING ME!” MODEL | AUTISM CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE (ACE)“CUSTOMIZED BEHAVIOR APPLICATION TRAINING” | |
|---|---|---|
| Project Rationale | Need for increased early transition services provided to students with disabilities Limited community and parent involvement with transition services at the middle school level Lack of training for transition professionals in identifying strengths-based, work-based learning via iterative processes, which includes stakeholder feedback throughout the meeting process | Need for a student-centered, strengths-based process to increase the involvement of the individual and their family in intensive, school-based behavioral programming Limited work-based learning opportunities for students with ASD who engage in interfering behaviors to get their needs met, and often have limited functional communication |
| Roles in Partnership | Train ACE technical assistance providers as trainers of the Discovering ME! (DM!) process to expand reach across multiple school districts Coach district level transition teachers in independently facilitating meeting process, establish community partner involvement, and interface with school community and families for work-based learning opportunities Co-create knowledge on the facilitators and barriers to aligning university partners within the same school districts | Co-facilitate early transition planning alongside the school district leadership team based on CTI training mechanisms to assure quality of implementation Serve as a liaison between CTI and school district leadership to establish sustainable, ongoing implementation of transition instructional practices Coach behavior specialists on behavioral assessments and interventions to increase school and community opportunities for the individual to engage in strengths-based, work-based learning opportunities |
| Goals of Project Related to Capacity Building | Establish trained ACE staff and district level transition teachers who can independently facilitate DM! process and establish trust among several stakeholders, including the student and family | Establish trained behavior specialists as participants and implementers to increase early transition service opportunities for students with ASD and their families |
| Project Partnership Expectations | Meet regularly with ACE and school district staff to evaluate training and guidance needed for the district to increase capacity for DM! implementation | Regularly coach behavior specialists to work with the regional classroom teacher to implement the work-based learning opportunities of each student utilizing behavioral assessment, intervention, and monitoring |