HANDS in Autism Training Model

Development 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 and Next Steps seminars. 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 in existing special education classroom milieus in local districts. These collaborative classrooms 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).