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Is Paraprofessional Proximity a Problem for Students with Visual Impairments? Dissertation Research

Is Paraprofessional Proximity a Problem for Students with Visual Impairments? Dissertation Research. Beth Harris, M.S. Ed., COMS Doctoral Candidate University of Arizona. Motivation for the Research. Personal experience with lack of paraprofessional training

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Is Paraprofessional Proximity a Problem for Students with Visual Impairments? Dissertation Research

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  1. Is Paraprofessional Proximity a Problem for Students with Visual Impairments?Dissertation Research Beth Harris, M.S. Ed., COMS Doctoral Candidate University of Arizona

  2. Motivation for the Research • Personal experience with lack of paraprofessional training • Need for specialized skill knowledge to work with students with visual impairments • Frustration with the idea that it is a given to have a paraprofessional • Observations of paraprofessionals who hover over students inhibiting the ability of the student to develop social skills

  3. Why This Is Important Research Increase in the use of paraprofessionals • Increase integration of students with disabilities • Qualified teacher shortage/larger caseloads • Parent and regular educator pressure for adequate support • Cost saving measure

  4. Increased role of paraprofessional • Provide one-on-one tutoring when student not receiving instruction from teacher • Assist with classroom management • Organizing instructional materials • Conduct parental involvement activities • Instructional support in library or media center • Instructional support under direct supervision of a highly qualified teacher

  5. Concerns identified in literature • Lack of definition of roles and responsibilities for paraprofessionals • Lack of supervision of paraprofessionals • Lack of training of paraprofessionals • Proximity of paraprofessional to student

  6. Little empirical data to support model of service for students with visual impairments • Giangreco, Edelman, Luisell, & MacFarland (1997) found in a population of deaf- blind students that paraprofessionals tended to be in close proximity to students on an ongoing basis. • Erwin (1996) looked at adaptive strategies and natural supports used to include a child in a regular preschool setting. • Griffin-Shirley & Matlock (2004) determined training needs of paraprofessionals.

  7. Purpose of Study • Examine effect proximity of a paraprofessional of a student with a visual impairment has on the students’ interactions with peers and teachers. • Explore factors that influence a paraprofessional’s decision to interact or not interact with the student.

  8. Research Questions • What are the types of interactions that occur between students and paraprofessionals? • What percentage of interactions between students and paraprofessionals are student initiated? • Do paraprofessionals maintain different distances from a student across three different observation settings?

  9. Research Questions (con’t) • When the paraprofessional is closer, is there less interaction between the student and peers and/or teacher? • How do paraprofessionals decide to interact with students?

  10. Study Participants • 5 paraprofessional/student teams • students • identified as having a visual impairment based on the definitions from IDEA • identified as having a visual impairment only, with no other disability • uses braille for academics • participates in the regular education classroom at least 75% of the school day • assigned a paraprofessional on a one-to-one basis by the IEP team • paraprofessionals who have at least one year paraprofessional experience prior to the start of the study

  11. Setting Observations occur in elementary/middle classrooms during three activity types. • Unstructured class time (e.g. transition times) • Semi-structured class time with peer interaction expected (e.g. group activity with teacher monitoring) • Structured class time with no peer interaction expected (e.g. strictly instruction).

  12. Instrumentation Observation recording sheet that documents • who initiated an interaction • initial interaction type • length of the interaction • type of classroom activity occurring at the time of the interaction • proximity of the paraprofessional at the time of the interaction Open-ended interview questionnaire • used to gather information from paraprofessionals about how they decide when to interact with a student with a visual impairment. Demographic questionnaires

  13. National Center for Leadership in Visual Impairments (NCLVI) and the Office of Special Education

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