The HANDS Clark-Pleasant training brought together school personnel for two impactful days of professional development. Participation was strong, with a 100% response rate on Day 1 and 77% on Day 2. Day 1 featured mostly first-time attendees (94%), while Day 2 included a majority of returning participants (74%).
Overall Ratings:
Across both days, participants rated the training highly, with an average score of 4.50 out of 5 for satisfaction and usefulness. Nearly 90% of ratings fell in the top two categories (4–5).
Feedback on Training Components:
- Technology & Accessibility: 4.66 | 94.8% rated Top-2
- Delivery & Facilitation: 4.64 | 93.1%
- Materials & Resources: 4.58 | 94.9%
- Content & Learning Outcomes: 4.43 | 87.3%
- Engagement & Dissemination: 4.43 | 86.6%
Who Attended:
All attendees were school personnel, with 59% being Special Education teachers and 22–24% paraprofessionals. Staff primarily serve Elementary (59–70%) and Secondary (35–37%) students.
What Participants Applied:
Participants reported applying strategies such as visual supports, schedules and timers, data collection, classroom structure, prompting and guided compliance, and engagement and behavior strategies. Many also expressed intent to advocate for future implementation.
Participant Comments:
- “This was one of the best trainings I have been in my 7 years. Very knowledgeable and real-life examples.”
- “I loved it and hope our corp will have more PD with HANDS.”
- “Would like more high school behavior management strategies.”
The overwhelmingly positive feedback underscores the value of HANDS training in equipping educators with practical tools and strategies to support student success. Stay tuned for upcoming sessions and continued opportunities for professional growth!
Want to learn more or schedule a training?
Visit HANDS in Autism® training website or contact us at hands@iu.edu