Paraprofessional Support
The Bottom Line
Support from a paraprofessional is considered a special education service. When it is necessary for a student to receive paraprofessional support, the IEP must include:
A statement specific to the student's need for a paraprofessional
The specific responsibilities of the paraprofessional
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IEP TV
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Check out these IEP meeting demo video(s) that model how to facilitate the conversation.
Consideration of Paraprofessional Support
A Highly Restrictive Support
Our obligation is to serve students in the least restrictive environment, and the utilization of paraprofessional support is highly restrictive.
Research indicates that students with paraprofessional support:
Receive less attention from certified teachers
Are more socially isolated
Are less self-determined/motivated
Are more dependent on adults
Compared to a certified teacher, paraprofessionals are more likely to over-prompt, over-modify, and otherwise over-assist, which impedes students' productive struggle and limits their opportunities to learn and grow.
When Is a Para Needed?
Students truly have a need for para support when it is necessary to increase their access to the general education curriculum — i.e., accommodations, modifications, or AT cannot be implemented by the general education teacher alone. There must always be a plan in place to build students' independence and fade the paraprofessional support.
Before adding or increasing paraprofessional support, several conditions must be met:
Frequency and intensity of the medical, behavioral, or academic needs of the student exceed the capability of the existing site staff
Other interventions have been attempted without success
Additional paraprofessional support is required to implement the student’s IEP
Results of the observation and review of records show that the school has developed an implementation plan that includes:
Goals and objectives that will address student independence,
The type, amount, and expected duration of the additional support service, and
A process for determining when service can be reduced or eliminated
Documentation
In order to document paraprofessional support in the IEP:
On the Services page of the IEP under "Paraprofessional Support, click 'Yes'
Click 'Add Paraprofessional Support'
Specify the type of paraprofessional support, start/end dates, frequency, minutes per session, location, and anticipated duration.
Describe the student's needs and the responsibilities of the para.
If needed, add additional rows to describe different types of paraprofessional support.
