Paraprofessionals:  What's Their Role and Are They Helping?

As we enter the second quarter of the school year, we often see questions arise regarding student progress and needed staff support.   Without a doubt, professional support of a dedicated aide or paraprofessional can contribute to meet student support needs and can be pivotal in creating success.  However, use of paraprofessional support may also have unintended effects we may not have considered.

Recently during one of our training sessions with a paraprofessional (para) supporting a child in an inclusive environment, the para asked how fading her support would relate to future job security (a not surprising, yet concerning comment)!  Clearly we have more work to do in sharing the vision and intent of meaningful and helpful support for students with special needs.  

Recent research highlights some of the detrimental effects associated with excessive paraprofessional proximity, to include unnecessary dependency, feelings of stigmatization and separation from peers, interference with peer interactions and teacher engagement, feelings of being singled out and limited access to competent instruction (Giangreco et al., 2005; Giangreco & Hoza, 2013).  Thus, we

must consider appropriate para proximity when support is needed.  For example, paras should support the student from behind whenever possible and effective to do so, avoid sitting next to the student or echoing teacher instructions (e.g., instead teach the student to gain the teacher's attention so the teacher can provide needed follow up), have a plan to systematically increase distance to student as progress is seen and fade out of the immediate area where and when possible (moving in and out at particular times as the teacher facilitates the process). 

Paraprofessional support tends to be most helpful in supporting behavioral programming (when there is advanced training and a commitment to procedural integrity) and achieving task completion.  Para support is not designed to replace the instruction of a teacher for academic, cognitive or specialized social support some students require.  Teachers are generally qualitatively more adept at connecting current tasks to the student's prior knowledge and delivering appropriate feedback, thus cognitive and linguistic engagement can improve (Giangreco et al., 2005).   Poorly outlined para roles are also an ongoing problem.  Further, teams may assume the para has sufficient skills when in reality the para has received only initial training. 

To maximize success, consider:

• Having para support be supplemental to the special educator
• Having modified, prepared teaching plans and materials selected by teachers or special educators and based on evidence-based practice
• Defining the para's role and providing adequate initial and regular ongoing training
• Providing for ongoing para supervision and an open avenue for communicating areas of concern from para to the team and vice versa.
• Team discussion on alternatives to overreliance on paras such as co-teaching models, use of peer supports, and reallocating staff positions (hiring a new special educator rather than three paras, using floating, skilled para positions)
• A written fading plan towards more natural supports, with a focus on student independence.

In the end, just like any component of the care team, the use of paraprofessionals can be beneficial to the student as long as their role is leveraged to support overall student goals.

References

      Giangreco & Hoza (2013). Are paraprofessional supports helpful?  Attention, August, 22-25.

      Giangreco, Yuan, McKenzie, Cameron, Fialka (2005).  Be careful what you wish for: Five reasons to be concerned about the assignment of individual paraprofessionals.  Teaching Exceptional Children, 37(5), 28-34.   

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