Paraprofessional Support

1. Paraprofessional Support START-MMAN

2. Universal Supports • Team Process • Para-professional Support • Functional Communication Systems • Visual Supports • Educational Strategies and Supports • Peer Supports • Behavior Support • Parent and Family Support • Guiding Principles

3. Paraprofessionals in the Classroom • Are trained, caring adults who support students individually or in small groups • Participate in regularly-scheduled team planning meetings

4. PARAPROFESSIONAL SUPPORT • Having a paraprofessional automatically assigned to a student simply because of eligibility is not a universal support • Considering the need for a paraprofessional is a universal support

5. Goals for students with ASD: • Socialization skill development • Independent functioning Paraprofessionals are only assigned when the student needs direct support for: • Academics • Behavior • Social Interaction

6. Advantages of Having a Para-Pro Assigned to a Student • Opportunities for increased learning • Assist students in learning systems which can be self-sustaining/self-supporting • For example, using a visual schedule rather than prompting • Increase in communication between school and families

7. Disadvantages of Having a Para-Pro Assigned to a Student • Interference with peer relations • Creates dependency • Integrity of daily communication • Meeting the needs of families and staff can be a challenge • Often times one person is communicating for the entire team (ex. daily notebook) • The information given doesn’t always match the information requested

8. Typical ROLES for Paraprofessionals: • Support the student in interacting effectively with the environment • Provide additional learning opportunities • Foster the use of learning systems or tools that allow for independence and optimal participation in the school environment

9. Typical ROLES for a Paraprofessional: • Support the student in interacting effectively with the environment: • Interpret Environmental / Educational Expectations • Assist in Material and Desk Top Organization • Implement Academic Accommodations / Modifications • Support Student Output • Support /Facilitate Socialization • Support/Facilitate Communication

10. Highlight steps for doing Read Naturally program independently • Color-coding matches color on supplies needed for each step Interpret Educational Expectations

11. Sometimes I want to eat other peoples food. My friends DO NOT like it if I take food off their lunch tray. I will only eat food on my lunch tray. Social Story DO NOT eat other people’s food Videotape students not taking food from each other Small Cue Card Interpret Environmental Expectations

12. Privacy/Distraction Screens Organize Materials Reference Materials

13. Desk organization is a HUGE problem for many students. Organize Desk/Backpack/Notebook

14. Make Accommodations and Modifications

15. Make accommodations and modifications

16. Accommodations and modifications may include the use of assistive technology Make Accommodations and Modifications

17. Taking dictation for a student Keyboarding answers Support Output Method (help student show what they know)

18. Support/Facilitate Socialization

19. Stand 18 inches away from the person with which you are talking. You can ask things like: “Did you go to watch the game last night?” “How was lunch?” (or class) “Have you seen the movie _____?” “What is your favorite band?” Utilizing a communication system Example of a cue card Support Communication

20. Typical ROLES for a Paraprofessional: 2. Provide additional learning opportunities: • Pre-teach or re-teach skills and concepts needed for success • Prompt appropriate behavior / work completion, etc. • Run Behavior Intervention Plan if one has been developed by the team • Ex. Token system

21. Re-teach concepts student didn’t “get” Break down tasks into manageable “chunks” Pre-teach or re-teach concepts

22. Pre-teach or re-teach concepts/skills

23. Token reward system Prompt and Reward Appropriate Work Habits and Behavior

24. Token system for behavior

25. Typical ROLES for a Paraprofessional: 3. Foster the use of learning systems or tools that allow for independence and optimal participation in the school environment: • Visual Schedules • Visual Prompts • Set Up and Support Peer Interaction

26. Daily schedule with expectations Small cue card hooks on belt-loop Three-ring binder with Velcro schedule Foster independent use of visuals

27. Work space organization Task organization

28. Mrs. O. takes us to lunch. I like it when she stays with me during lunch. Mrs. O. will stay with me for 5 minutes each day. When the timer says 5 minutes is up, I will say good-bye to Mrs. O. and she will go somewhere else to eat her lunch. I might be sad but I will try to stay calm and eat my lunch. I will see Mrs. O again after lunch. Everybody Makes Mistakes! When you make a mistake: Say to yourself, “Everyone makes mistakes. This is OK.” Think about ways you can fix the problem. Ask friends or adults for help if you need it. Social Stories and Power Cards

29. “If you’ve told a child a thousand times and he still does not understand, then it is not the child who is a slow learner.” Attributed to Walter Barbee

30. Helpful Tools: Schedule Matrix for Identifying Support Strategies Name: ______________________________________________ Date: ______________________________

31. Rules for Prompting AND Fading

32. 1.   Define target behavior • Define the behavior to be prompted.

33. 2.   Identify suitable prompts • Choose a prompt that will reliably produce this behavior.

34. 3. Implement Sequence • Prompt • Wait • Wait, wait, wait – a minimum of 10 seconds • Reinforce • Fade

35. 4.   Monitor results • This is essential to know you are progressing satisfactorily. • Collect data  • Chart/graph progress

37. Keep in Mind… • Verbal prompts can easily become a habit. • Easy to give. • Less verbal prompting allows students time to give their own responses. • Remember: Wait, wait, wait!

38. Helpful Tools: Paraprofessional Role Development Name: _________________________________________________ Date: ______________________________

39. Helpful Tools:Accommodations and Modifications • Accommodation: Supports and services provided to help a student access the general education curriculum and validly demonstrate learning.

40. Helpful Tools:Accommodations and Modifications • Modification: Individualized changes made to the content being taught

41. Where to go for help… • General Education Teacher – Can tell you the educational priorities of each lesson and provide direction regarding your role. • Special Education Teacher – Can help you with accommodations and modifications to the curriculum. • Teacher Consultant – Can help you with resources, as well as additional training, and information about accommodations and modifications. • Itinerant Service Providers (Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Social Workers, etc.) – Can help with specific communication, motor/sensory or behavior issues • Principal – Can help with scheduling and behavior issues.

42. Paraprofessionals Solve problems  Teach Love kids Keep track of schedules Fix Boo-Boo’s Give Ideas Help kids make friends  Teach Make activities Go on fieldtrips Read to children Keep families informed Keep learning themselves Teach Make adaptations for students  Correct papers  Help kids meet IEP goals and objectives Care for sick kids Attend meetings Teach Wipe noses Listen to lame jokes Teach Clean up messes Smile when they’re tired Give suggestions Teach Pitch in when help is needed Foster independence Make phone calls Supervise playgrounds and bus areas Zip coats  Find lost itemsTeach Lend a helping hand Come to school each day because they care 