Para eLink: Where Minnesota's Paraprofessionals Learn Online

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1.3 (1K3B): Understanding of the distinctions between roles and responsibilities of professionals, paraprofessionals, and support personnel.


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Introduction

The need for paraprofessionals to work with persons who are at risk or who have disabilities has been growing in recent years. Increasing numbers of persons with a range of disabilities are now living in small residential settings in our communities, attending regular classes in neighborhood schools, holding jobs in local businesses, and participating in community recreation and social activities. There is a great need for paraprofessionals to provide the services and supports these individuals need for education in inclusive classrooms, individualized instruction, early childhood settings, and experiences in community environments for community living.

By employing paraprofessionals, educational and other services for persons with disabilities are able to expand and improve the quality of assistance they provide. Some of the benefits paraprofessionals offer schools, agencies, and individuals with disabilities are the following:

Expanded learning opportunities for persons with disabilities.
More individualized instruction.
Increased planning time for educators, supervisors, and others.
Better monitoring and evaluation of persons with disabilities.
Greater consistency in services.
Improved parent-school relationships.
Greater involvement of persons with disabilities in education and other settings in the community at large.
Increased transportation assistance for individuals with disabilities.
Expanded vocational skill development for individuals with disabilities.

Objectives

As you read the objectives for this unit, think about and rate your current knowledge using the following scale.

I do not understand this.
I do understand this.
I understand this well enough to use in my work.
I could teach others about it and use it in my work.

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

Identify the roles and responsibilities associated with a paraprofessional's position in your setting.
Identify the roles and responsibilities associated with the supervision of a paraprofessional in your setting.
Create a personalized job description.
Identify the members of the educational team in your specific site.
Explain the distinct roles and responsibilities that each team member has.

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