What Every Must Know Special Educator - Council for Exceptional ...

Section 6: Paraeducators Serving Individuals With
Exceptional Learning Needs
This section provides information about the increasingly
critical role of paraeducators in special education
service delivery, the CEC standards for paraeducator
preparation, and tools paraeducators and paraeducator
training programs can use to ensure that they are
meeting the standards.
For more than 50 years, paraeducators have helped
special educators provide important services to
individuals with exceptional learning conditions.
Historically, they provided services ranging from clerical
tasks to assisting with individualized functional
living tasks. Today they have become an essential part
of the special education team in delivering individualized
services and playing an increasingly prominent
role in the instruction of individuals with exceptional
learning needs at all ages. According to the Study
of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPENSE,
2003.), today paraeducators in the United States spend
at least 10% of their time on the following activities:
• Providing instructional support in small
groups
• Providing one-to-one instruction
• Modifying materials
• Implementing behavior plans
• Monitoring hallways, study halls
• Meeting with teachers
• Collecting data on individuals with
exceptional learning needs
• Providing personal care assistance
The qualified special education paraeducator performs
tasks prescribed and supervised by a fully licensed
special education professional. Qualified paraeducators
deliver individualized services to individuals
with exceptional learning needs in a wide variety of
settings, including general education classes, community-based
functional learning sites, and just about
everywhere that a special education professional can
be found. Paraeducators bring a wide variety of backgrounds
and experience to their jobs (SPENSE, 2003).
In the United States, 29% have high school diplomas,
38% have completed some college, and 32% hold an
associate’s degree or higher. Paraeducators with college
experience have increased confidence in collaborating
and communicating with teachers. The majority
of paraeducators are supervised by special education
teachers and overwhelmingly they feel supported by
their special education supervisors.
To ensure that paraeducators have the required skills
for their expanded roles, in collaboration with the
National Resource Center for Paraeducators, CEC
validated the following knowledge and skill set for
paraeducators who serve individuals with exceptional
learning needs. In addition, CEC has validated a set
of corollary knowledge and skills for paraeducators
of individuals with deaf-blindness (i.e., paraeducator
interveners for individuals with deaf-blindness). CEC
expects that agencies will ensure that all paraeducators
working with individuals with exceptional learning
needs have, at a minimum, mastered the Paraeducator
Common Core and appropriate specialization
knowledge and skills through ongoing, effective,
preservice and continuing education with professional
educators and training that is specifically targeted for
paraeducators.
Paraeducators should have available ongoing,
effective, continuing training with professional
educators and training that is specifically targeted for
paraeducators.
Section 6: ParaeducatorS Serving individualS with excePtional learning needS 189