The STAR Program
The STAR Program (Arick, Loos, Falco, Krug, 2004) teaches children with autism the critical skills identified by the National Research Council. The ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training and teaching functional routines form the instructional base of this comprehensive program for children with autism.
The Links® Curriculum
The Links Curriculum (Arick, Hoffman, Magee-Arick, 2012) is a comprehensive curriculum designed to promote student independence in natural environments. The Links online system utilizes a curriculum-based assessment to individualize routines for every student. The Links school and community lesson plans provide the user with the tools necessary to teach both individual skills and independence in daily routines.
Evidence-Based and Research-Validated Curriculum
The STAR Program and the Links Curriculum are grounded in evidence-based practices and have shown to be effective in many settings, including public school programs. These curricula transfer research into practice by providing teachers with the tools to implement a comprehensive program using the teaching strategies identified as most effective for students with significant learning challenges.
I wanted to tell you that we have made soooo much progress with our student. She is sitting at the lunch table, asking for “more grapes please,” then waiting while we look for some. Then actually saying “more apples?” when we tell her the grapes are gone! She is playing side by side with others and said, “bye Mom” when her mom dropped her off last Thursday morning. Lots of tears on that one. Autism Specialist Indiana
I just wanted to say thank you for your amazing program! My son is 6 and has been on the STAR Program for 2 years. It's amazing! He loves learning this way and the penny boards are a great teaching tool. So grateful for your program! Parent
STAR has been a user-friendly, research based, effective resource for teachers. Thank you for partnering with us to bring about better outcomes for the students we teach and for whom we care so deeply. Program Specialist Utah
We continue to use the STAR program at Lighthouse. Although we were already using many of the strategies included in the STAR program, such as visual systems, routines, and behavior plans, the program gave us the framework, structure and consistency we needed. It really pulled it all together for us. Administrator Holland
I came across your STAR curriculum at my previous employer where I worked for 3 years doing ABA therapy with children with autism. It is without a doubt the most thorough and effective autism curriculum I have come across. Peace Corp Volunteer Belize
After implementing the STAR Program I was really excited to discover the curriculum is appropriate for all of my students with developmental disabilities. It has really saved time to have one curriculum that meets the needs of all my students. Special Education Teacher Oregon
Following the STAR curriculum has made a positive difference in every one of my students’ lives. Students who started the year needing full assistance to transition between activities are now able to independently check their schedule and move to the next activity. These are students who fell to the floor, cried, ran away or hid under tables in their previous classrooms. For the first time in my career as a special education teacher all of my students have either met IEP goals or are making adequate progress to meet them. Special Education Teacher Washington
