Disabilities & Individualized  Support 

Guidance 

Education staff and Disabilities and Mental Health manager will collaborate with local education agencies to ensure, whenever possible, that the timeframe between the referral of a child with a potential disability and the evaluation/determination of the child is minimal. During the referral process, sites are directed to work with the Disabilities and Mental Health manager and education support staff during the referral process to provide classroom and family support. Agencies are required to provide individualized services and support to the maximum extent possible to meet the child's needs. These services will be based on available information such as parent input, child observation, and assessment data. If additional supports (i.e., personal equipment, therapy) are needed, the site family support staff will work with the family to determine if these supports are available through a child's health insurance.

Supporting the individualized needs of children with disabilities

GHC has identified intentional ways in which classrooms that serve children with disabilities should be designed and consistent support and evidence of those supports. 

The Supports should include: 

• Utilize effective classroom practices which support children's IEP/IFSP goals to the greatest extent possible.

• Document progress notes for each individualized activity planned to support the accommodations and modifications, and goal(s) from the IEP or IFSP. Information obtained will be utilized to inform further planning that includes modifying routines, activities, and individualized instruction to support further progress. • Provide adaptive materials and items reflective of children with disabilities (i.e., materials of varying difficulty, books, posters, supplemental aids)

• Make every reasonable effort to ensure full accessibility of facilities, including special furniture, equipment, and needed materials.

• Implement a research-based curriculum, inclusive of the needs of all children.

• Utilize ongoing assessment to inform individualized lesson plans for all children.

• Support teachers/providers with Practice-Based Coaching techniques and strategies that strengthen child's learning and abilities through ongoing assessment and individualized lesson plans.

• Engage and support parents and families; family support staff directly supports families through family development work and access to community resources.

• Provide training and technical assistance to staff, as needed, on the unique disabilities of children enrolled in their center.

Paraprofessional and Classroom Support for Children with Disabilities

GHC recognizes that several layers of support should be implemented when caring for young children with disabilities. Because of this, GHC staff its classroom with rotating paraprofessional support across all its classrooms. Paras are assigned to support classrooms based on the greatest need of the current classrooms serving children with disabilities.

Paraprofessionals' Scope of Work: Paraprofessionals are full-time staff onboarded to serve as additional support in classrooms with enrolled children with disabilities. They can be assigned to one or more sites based on the number of children with IEPs and their specific needs. The paraprofessionals’ main goal is to assist the teacher in supporting children with disabilities to ensure they are included in the full range of program activities. In collaboration with the classroom teacher, paraprofessionals implement accommodations and modifications to the environment, materials, activities, and curriculum, based on children’s IEPs.  Paras who are assigned to the classrooms must be provided a full debriefing by the Disabilities and Mental Health Manager to ensure proper accommodations are met. 

Paraprofessional Responsibilities: 

• Attend DFSS monthly mandatory training. 

•  Maintain current professional documentation related to their position, i.e., maintain a "Paraprofessional Binder" containing current certificates and evidence of their attendance at DFSS training. The information should be current, and the binder should be accessible upon request. 

• Reinforce and support learning in small groups while the teacher works with other students. 

•  Reinforce the teacher’s instruction by following the teacher’s guidance and planned activities. (implementing individualized lessons with children needing support) 

• Assist the teacher with classroom management. 

•  Assist in the preparation and/or production of instructional materials. 

• Assist students in completing activities that have been initiated by the teacher.

•  Assist teacher in supervision of free play activities (indoor and outdoor). 

Involvement In Service Coordination:

•  Participate in SRT meetings for children with suspected disabilities along with the Disabilities and Mental Health Service manager and classroom teachers with parent/guardian approval and when deemed appropriate. 

Promote full inclusion of children with disabilities. 

The Paraprofessional should not:  Be solely responsible for a classroom or a professional service. Be responsible for preparing classroom lesson plans and initiating instruction.  Paras are not to be used as substitute teachers but can be counted in ratio. Para Professional should not solely be assigned to an individual child nor serve as an individual aide. Paras should not be assigned other agency roles that are not related to classroom activities (e.g., acting as the receptionist, a cook, or a food aide). Paras should not be left alone at any time in the classroom with children. In accordance with licensing standards, paraprofessionals should not be left alone with children at any time in the classroom. Paras should not accompany children on buses but can assist with loading children onto the bus and receiving children off/on the bus when the children are transported to and from their CPS-specialized services. Paras are not a substitute for assuming the Disabilities and Mental Health manager e.g., compiling referral packets, contacting CPS managers, participating in IEP meetings as the sole agency representative, screening children, and/or entering information into COPA. Paras should not enter information into Teaching Strategies GOLD as this is the teacher’s responsibility; however, anecdotal notes can be used when assessing children.