SOLS - STAR Online Learning System
Welcome to Special Needs Remote Learning
Evidence-based curriculum • Leveled for all abilities • Seamless integration to in-class learning
The STAR Online Learning System (SOLS)
SOLS is a synchronous remote learning curriculum founded in evidence-based practices and designed for students with autism and other developmental needs from early childhood to post-secondary. As a synchronous remote learning platform, SOLS offers real-time teaching from a trained instructor while maintaining an IEP-driven curriculum. It is an essential tool when it comes to giving students with developmental disabilities equal access to education.
SOLS provides a seamless transition between in-class and remote learning.
Tied directly to lessons from the STAR Program and Links, SOLS allows students to continue learning new skills outside of the classroom and pick right back up when returning to the classroom. This makes SOLS an essential curriculum for:
- Hybrid learning, or instances when students are moving between in-class and remote learning
- Extended school year programming during school breaks
- Weather-related and unexpected school closures
- Instruction in remote and rural areas
SOLS includes leveled-strands, professional development for educators, and interactive presentations that make instruction easy to implement—anytime, anywhere.
Professional Development
As a synchronous remote learning platform, SOLS relies on trained instructors to provide real-time teaching and coaching to students and caregivers. SOLS includes professional development from our trainers prior to implementing SOLS. It also includes scripted lessons that help walk instructors through coaching caregivers to implement teaching to their students.
Leveled-Strands for All Abilities
SOLS offers leveled-strands to support students at their individual learning levels:
Strand A lessons are for students who may have difficulty attending to the instructor during an online session. Strand A lessons focus on coaching caregivers to teach students skills both during the online sessions and throughout the day. Instruction will focus on attention, social communication, building vocabulary and language skills, following directions, and student-specific IEP goals and objectives.
Strand B lessons are for students who are able to attend for short periods of time and will be a combination of direct teaching and caregiver coaching. Instruction will focus on increasing communication skills, attention, literacy, math, and student-specific IEP goals and objectives. If needed, caregivers will be supported in learning reinforcement strategies and developing home routines.
Strand C lessons for students who are able to attend for the entire session and will be direct teaching between the student and teacher. Instruction will focus on communication, academics, extended attention, completing independent work assignments, and student-specific IEP goals and objectives.
Within each of these major strands are sub-strands that support students exactly where they are in their learning. With our assessment and strand guide, instructors and caregivers will be able to track their students’ progress with skills as well as transition easily between remote instruction and in-class learning.
REEL
As a part of our remote platform, SOLS also includes REEL (Remote Education for Exceptional Learners). REEL is a one-of-a-kind interactive tool that creates individual lesson presentations based on each student’s strand and skill level. With REEL, teachers tailor interactive presentations and activities to meet the specific needs of each student, making it simple to support individual student learning targets and IEP goals. This innovative tool utilizes evidence- based practices and engaging remote learning strategies to deliver customized content that meets students where they are for maximum skill reinforcement and development. Each SOLS lesson plan has an accompanying REEL, allowing instructors to easily implement lessons without hours of prep work.
What makes SOLS unique from other SPED online learning programs?
As a synchronous remote learning curriculum, SOLS offers real-time teaching from a trained instructor while maintaining an IEP-drive curriculum. Synchronous remote instruction allows for students to work on the advancement of skills, as opposed to focusing only on maintaining previously-learned skills.
We also offer multiple ways to engage with instructors and caregivers remotely, including:
| Free! | Home Supports: To support caregivers and students during this time of significant routine upheaval, we are offering free visual resources and video modeling for families. Caregivers can use these free resources to support their children during daily routines. |
| For STAR Media Center and LINKS users | Instructorless Learning: Anyone with access to the STAR Media Center and/or Links has access to our new Home Packets. These printable materials offer caregivers and students fun, theme-based materials that are designed to meet students’ individual learning levels. The printable packets offer flexibility for caregivers to decide when their children engage with materials, providing opportunities for students to work independently to maintain previously learned skills. |
| SOLS paid subscription | Synchronous Remote Learning: To support individual IEP goals and the development of new skills, we recommend our SOLS. Synchronous remote instruction offers the opportunity for teachers to individualize and scaffold curriculum to meet the unique needs of all students. |
Why is it important to provide online services to students with disabilities?
Under federal law, extended school year services must be made available to students with disabilities as necessary in regard to regression and recoupment. Because this population is at high risk for loss of skills during a gap in instruction, it's vital that students access curriculum to support maintenance and reinforcement of skills.
On March 21, 2020 the U.S. Department of Education Fact Sheet indicated that school districts should use distance education to meet the requirements of a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) if at all possible. See the fact sheet here.
How can SOLS help during school closures?
SOLS was developed specifically to support students who encounter breaks in service and/or challenges accessing traditional classroom instruction. This enables our program to provide schools with a solution that bridges unexpected gaps in public school programming.
How does SOLS fit into your district's budget?
We are happy to work directly with district leaders to ensure SOLS fits into budget constraints. In addition, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is essential in planning your budget for the next school year. Learn more about how the CARES Act supports your budget.
Contact a STAR Sales Representative to learn more about how SOLS fits in your budget.
Is SOLS appropriate for students at beginning learning levels?
Because the strategies are based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strategies, we know that one size does not fit all when it comes to student instruction. Our programming addresses student motivation and engagement in addition to instructional consistency and repetition. By providing appropriate levels of instruction for students at a range of learning levels, SOLS is particularly beneficial to students who are often unable to access traditional educational services.
What is included in SOLS?
The STAR Online Learning System incorporates:
- Scripted lesson plans
- Assessments, progress monitoring, and instructional resources
- REEL, an interactive tool for individualized lesson presentations
- Weekly homework packets
- Extensive independent work activities
- Monthly themed content
- Videos, downloadable visual supports, and much more!
This comprehensive curriculum addresses learners at a variety of levels and is tied to the STAR Program and Links curriculum to ensure seamless transition between remote and in-class learning.
Who can implement SOLS?
Lesson plans include extensive information on implementation and can be successfully used by teachers, paraprofessionals, and related service staff. Extensive professional development is included with SOLS. Implementers are provided fidelity of instruction checklists to self-monitor instructional fidelity.
STAR Autism Support Certified Trainers can also provide real time instruction direct to your students, if requested.
I ended up attending 3 SOLS webinars last week, and I attempted the first lesson with one of my students and their caretaker this morning. IT WAS AMAZING! My student’s caregiver was so excited, and my student was so excited.
Your training made the seemingly impossible, possible! I loved the creative ways we were able to learn more about the strategies remotely.
I just want to say…how thankful I am to have this amazing teaching tool. My students have such a wide range of learning abilities and I love the flexibility of having so many lessons and routine options.
It was marvelous—I had the lesson plan on the screen and I was coaching the parents and they went from 100% prompts to no prompts. It was inspiring.
Getting to know the parents and building relationships has been the most rewarding aspect of SOLS.
THANK YOU for all that you have done with SOLS! I couldn’t imagine remote teaching without the amazing lessons, routines, and resources you have made available!
Following [SOLS] strategies and using the home visual supports, I coached a parent and student through a task analysis for brushing her hair…I took data and the student met her IEP goal benchmark for this marking period, despite not having done this in the past two months.
SOLS has benefited me as a teacher, my students, and my parents…I have witnessed some major progress in their engagement, attending, and language skills!