Paraeducators frequently support children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) but often lack access to effective training opportunities. Similarly, special education teachers are responsible for supervising paraeducators but often lack effective training on AAC and paraeducator supervision. The POWR+ (Prepare the activity and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a teacher-implemented professional development program to increase the fidelity with which paraeducators use evidence-based practices (EBPs) in instruction for children with autism. Employing a modified multiple-probe design, investigators implemented the Autism Focused Intervention…

Paraprofessionals are an essential part of special education. School districts increasingly rely on paraprofessional support to meet students' needs, but formal professional development opportunities vary. A lack of training in effective instructional strategies is potentially problematic for the efficacy of support staff. A multiple-baseline…

Paraeducators often support students with the most intensive academic, life, and behavioral needs, which includes students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD; e.g., autism spectrum disorder; ASD), yet they typically enter the classroom with inadequate preparation to perform their roles effectively. Using a…

Both the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) clause within Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 have impacted the educational service delivery for students with disabilities and the paraeducators that provide support services. As more schools turn to inclusionary practices, the…

With nearly a million paraprofessionals working in elementary and secondary schools (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013), ensuring they are well prepared and supported is essential to their and their students' success. Paraprofessionals work closely with classroom teachers to support students from special populations and are typically supervised by…

As nationwide school enrollments are projected to increase slowly over the next decade, it is predicted that there will be a greater increase among students identified for special education services. As a result, the employment of paraprofessionals who aid these students is expected to grow by ten percent between 2008 and 2018 (Bureau of Labor…

Describes how focus groups comprised of speech-language professionals, paraprofessionals, general and special education teachers, and parents in Iowa were used to conduct a needs assessment of issues in staff development and use of paraprofessional personnel and to design job-relevant personnel development programs. An attached chart lists themes…

This project addressed the need for training materials for paraeducators in their roles as members of the instructional team, and for teachers as classroom executives who lead that team. Paraprofessional personnel in this project include paid aides, volunteers, cross-age tutors, and parents instructing children in the schools. The three objectives…

The paper reports on a practicum project to assess the training needs of paraprofessionals and to develop a training program to meet those needs. The first section of the paper is a literature review, which revealed few studies that have addressed the efficacy of paraprofessinals, though research that has been done indicates that paraprofessionals…

A survey of 164 Pennsylvania general and special education teachers and 1,430 elementary educators nationwide examined their attitudes concerning supports needed for the successful inclusion of students with disabilities. Teachers perceived a need for training, help from personnel outside the classroom, and in-class help such as paraprofessionals.…

The High School State Incentive Grant was established to improve the quality of instruction given to New York students with handicaps by providing high school special education teachers with an intensive staff development program designed and implemented at the school, district, and citywide levels. The program consisted of three major components:…

This practicum was designed to train special education teachers and paraprofessionals at a private, special education facility in ways to identify precursor behaviors and antecedent events eliciting maladaptive behaviors in children with developmental disorders and behavior disorders. Staff were given five inservice sessions (totalling 10 hours)…

This report describes deliberations and recommendations of a Maryland task force to examine issues and develop policy recommendations related to "special instruction" as an early intervention service. It specifically concerns the relationship between special instruction and specialized child care; personnel qualifications; and provision…

The manual provides a framework for two days of training in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instructional methods for monolingual special education teachers at the upper elementary level in New York City (New York) schools. The materials help teachers without ESL certification provide mandated ESL services to Limited-English-Proficient (LEP)…