1.3 | Philosophy

The HANDS in Autism® program was established with the goal of developing and implementing an intensive training program that would facilitate bridging across communities and the development of local capacity. The HANDS in Autism® Center has evolved beyond this core training to also include informational and training opportunities across various levels of learning.

While the original intensive week-long training was designed particularly to address the needs of individuals working with students with ASD in the school setting, it has evolved and focuses on providing hands-on experience and coaching in a simulated lab or community classroom environment. The program includes traditional instructional methods such as lectures and discussion, but the emphasis of training is building increased knowledge and skill of the process of making and supporting appropriate programming decisions for an individual through hands-on application and learning. This intensive training program is based upon the following:

• A focus on the individual strengths of all learners
• A focus on comprehensive training across areas foundational to success in educating students on the spectrum
• Hands-on learning opportunities involving individuals of various levels of functioning and challenge
• Training in a model of didactics combined with modeling, practice, and feedback in a supportive coaching environment
• Teaching a process in working effectively with students on the spectrum
• Provision of training based on a blending of “best practices” (ie., ABA-based practices) approach to assessment and intervention
• Development of curriculum and behavioral planning based on data-driven decision making
• Focus on facilitating the development of local capacity of teams

This model represents good teaching practices and has been applied across disability areas, levels and areas of functioning, as well as service and care providers.