HANDS in Autism Training Model
Creation of the model
The creation of the HANDS program has generally expanded the focus of the CSATC to include a variety of educational and outreach opportunities, including series such as the Make It Take It workshops, Next Steps workshops, and the InfoRM Yourself workshop. However, the core efforts of the HANDS in Autism program have centered on developing and evolving an innovative training model. The HANDS in Autism training model was founded on the belief that training should: (1) focus on student strengths, (2) provide for comprehensive training, (3) focus on educational processes from assessment to goal development, (4) provide for blending of strategies based in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and evidence-based practices, and (5) hands-on work with students with an autism spectrum disorder. The training model incorporates strategies supported by the literature and involving the presentation of initial information in didactic format followed by trainer modeling, trainee practice, trainer feedback, and coaching and mentoring.
The HANDS program is currently expanding the training model by facilitating the development of collaborative classrooms and programming in existing classroom milieus in local districts. These collaborative programs follow the same practices and principles inherent in HANDS missions and philosophy of training and intervention and facilitate programming that increases local capacity to educate and train professionals while also building bridges across community systems (e.g., education, medical, home).
What is the model?
Training specific to ASD and effective evidence-based practices is advocated for all care providers influencing an individual’s programming. The most effective (i.e., leading to practical application vs. mere knowledge) avenue for training is through an intensive model incorporating hand-on opportunities, feedback, coaching and mentoring. Furthermore, once effective training has occurred, collaboration across systems should be emphasized to facilitate consistency and comprehensive program evaluation. Ultimately, care providers across all systems have a shared responsibility in the decision-making and programming processes for these individuals.
Despite the documented need for comprehensive training and collaboration across systems to facilitate effective programming for individuals with an ASD, the literature is clear about the limitations of this training and collaboration. Difficulties for both are inherent in definition, content and practical tools available for those in the field. The HANDS (Helping Answer Needs by Developing Specialists) in Autism model, a university and hospital-based professional training program, was developed in response to these limitations. It is described as a model to facilitate professional training and improve systems collaboration efforts.
The HANDS in Autism model utilizes a blended model with strategies evolving from the core philosophy of Applied Behavior Analysis (see our What is ABA? handout). The HANDS Philosophy Diamond reflects the components of this evidence-based philosophy that are incorporated into the model. The specific components (i.e., “facets” or strategies) incorporated into programming for each individual (i.e., “gem”) differ in that there is no one treatment appropriate to all children with an ASD. However, all strategies and methods utilized and taught evolve from this evidence-based philosophy. Participants of trainings are encouraged to look at the methods as tools that should be incorporated as appropriate to each individual and feasible given assessment data results and goals developed.
The HANDS in Autism program has created a vision that has continued to grow and evolve with identified needs across the state of Indiana. The programming and development described reflects that which has been specified and sought by various guidelines, policies and current literature pertaining to ASD. The general vision stems from the realization that there needs to be more care providers specialized in ASD and evidence-based practices who are open to collaboration across systems.
Applications of the Model
The model as applied in the HANDS Summer Training
Informed through practice and literature, focused programming in the areas of training, collaboration, and building of local capacity in the area of ASD have been a part of the HANDS in Autism program since 2004. Initially, an intensive, hands-on, active learning opportunity for professional training was established to extend beyond more typical didactic trainings otherwise offered. It had been noted that care providers wanting to implement information gained from traditional conferences and workshops did not feel adequately tooled to apply the knowledge they had gained. They became promptly discouraged with the methodologies and processes as they struggled to effectively apply and individualize the principles learned through these means in their naturalistic settings.
The week-long intensive training program held during the summer months, provided for these needs while also allowing participants to learn and apply principles directly to a range of students across the autism spectrum within a laboratory classroom environment. Given the need to build local capacity in schools and school districts, our focus in on training educational teams (teachers, teaching assistants, OTs, SLPs, etc.) to effectively interact and work with students on the spectrum in a classroom setting. Due to the generous sponsorship of our training program by the Indiana Department of Education, Division of Exceptional Learners, such teams are able to attend our training program at no cost to themselves, the school, or district. Also due to this sponsorship, professionals who are currently working with students in a public or private school are first priority to benefit from this training program. As local capacity is built, we will broaden our training program to include professionals working outside public and private schools.
The model as applied in the DOE Collaborative Classrooms
In 2006, the HANDS in Autism program extended to begin developing collaborative community-based classrooms. School staff in the collaborative classrooms are trained in the program’s philosophy with intensive modeling, practice, feedback, coaching and mentoring as a means of demonstrating the practicality and transportability of these strategies beyond an intervention- or center-based environment. Ultimately, the goal is to not only develop evidence based programs, but also to establish these collaborative classrooms as ongoing training sites used to build local capacity. The model has been successful in training staff on a variety of dimensions and has also successfully served as a model of the effective collaboration and blending between the home/community, medical, and educational systems.
