Severe Disabilities Education Aide

Orange County Public Schools; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Orange County Public Schools is seeking a paraprofessional to assist students with severe disabilities under the supervision of a certified teacher or administrator. The role includes instructional, behavioral and daily living support, crisis intervention, and collaboration on lesson plans and data collection.

Qualifications include an Associate’s degree or 60 semester hours, paraprofessional certification, and 2 years of experience with exceptional needs students.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or higher; or at least sixty (60) semester hours from an accredited institution of higher education (official transcript required to validate education). Passing the paraprofessional certification exam can substitute for the educational requirement to meet the highly qualified status.
• All applicants for this position must be highly qualified prior to the start of their employment with Orange County Public Schools.
• Ability to fulfil the dexterity and physical requirements of the work; previous vocational training or work experience in a licensed child care environment preferred.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience working with exceptional needs school‑age children in an educational environment that provides broad familiarity and understanding of the physical and emotional behaviours and challenges of severely disabled children (additional education can substitute for experience year for year); must possess strong stress management skills and the ability to fulfil the dexterity and physical requirements of the work and effectively attend to special needs.
• All new hires to this position must successfully complete the ESE Training within 45 days of date of hire.

Responsibilities

• Responds to internal and external customers in a timely, accurate, courteous and empathetic manner representing OCPS in a positive light.
• Provides instructional, behavioral and developmental assistance to students with severe disabilities as directed by the supervising teacher or other certified professional.
• Applies basic practices of positive behavioral supports, and assists in the teaching of problem-solving skills to students as directed by the supervising teacher, or other certified professional.
• Assists with behavior interventions including monitoring and charting behaviors specific to students with severe disabilities.
• Applies effective principles of crisis intervention to students with severe disabilities who display aggressive behavior and who may require physical restraint.
• Assists students with severe disabilities as they arrive on buses, taking them to and from learning areas, assisting in physically transferring students from wheelchairs, and monitoring medical and social/emotional needs of individual students.
• Assists in providing support and follow-up for students with severe disabilities assigned to in‑school suspension.
• Reinforces rules of the school and learning environment; acknowledges and encourages appropriate behavior; and identifies inappropriate behavior using a positive behavioral support approach.
• Escorts and provides one‑on‑one assistance to students with severe disabilities during breakfast, lunch, restroom visits, and other activities throughout the school day.
• Assists students with severe disabilities with gross motor activities, such as grasping, holding objects, posture, crawling, walking, and running, as appropriate to individual development.
• Assists students with severe disabilities with fine motor activities, such as using assistive devices, job skills and leisure skill activities as appropriate to individual development.
• Assists students with severe disabilities with daily living skills, such as dressing, eating, lavatory needs including diapering, grooming, and personal hygiene as appropriate to individual development.
• Assists the teacher in the development of lesson plans, behavior intervention plans, and accommodations for students with severe disabilities; provides input and assistance in the development and implementation of learning activities; and prepares or assists in the preparation of materials for instruction.
• Assists the teacher with the collection and reporting of data for progress monitoring, progress reports, and IEP development and review.
• May be assigned monitoring duties, i.e., hallways, lunchroom, restrooms, and bus duty; ensures appropriate student conduct during these periods; escorts students to designated activity areas, i.e., music room, computer room, art classes, assemblies, etc.
• May be assigned to various labs providing assistance to teachers and instruction/information to students; may translate lesson plan and other information to students for better understanding and comprehension.
• Responsible for keeping up to date on current technology, as job appropriate, being used by OCPS. With the support of the district, attends training to ensure skill level in various technologies is at the level required to perform in current position.
• Responsible for timely and accurate information they maintain as part of their job responsibilities.

Skills

Experience with exceptional needs

Dexterity and physical requirements

Stress management

Education

Associate’s degree or higher

60 semester hours

Paraprofessional certification exam

ESE Training within 45 days

Job description

Orange County Public Schools is seeking a paraprofessional to assist students with severe disabilities under the supervision of a certified teacher or administrator. The role includes instructional, behavioral and daily living support, crisis intervention, and collaboration on lesson plans and data collection.

Qualifications include an Associate’s degree or 60 semester hours, paraprofessional certification, and 2 years of experience with exceptional needs students.