Teaching Assistant - Autism School, Westlake

Achievement Centers for Children; Westlake (OH); On-site; USD 19,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Professional development

Job summary

Achievement Centers for Children in Westlake, OH seeks a Teaching Assistant for its Autism School. The role supports students with Autism Spectrum Disorder alongside teachers and a multidisciplinary team to foster structured and engaging learning environments.

Ideal candidates have experience with special needs, strong organizational and communication skills, and a collaborative mindset to support academics, behavior and daily living activities.

Qualifications

• Experience working with students with special needs in classroom, childcare, behavioral health, or related setting.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Ability to respond to children in respectful, patient, and supportive ways.
• Ability to work collaboratively with teachers, therapists, behavior staff, and families.
• Willingness to support students with academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and activities of daily living as needed.

Responsibilities

• Support students in the Autism School classroom alongside the teacher and interdisciplinary team.
• Help create a structured, engaging, and supportive learning environment for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Assist with academic instruction, behavioral supports, and activities of daily living as needed.

Skills

Special needs experience

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Collaborative work

Student instruction support

Education

Associate degree in Education/Child Development/Psychology

Job description

Career Opportunities with Achievement Centers for Children

A great place to work.

Careers At Achievement Centers for Children

Teaching Assistant - Autism School, Westlake

Achievement Centers for Children is a Cleveland, Ohio based nonprofit that is nationally recognized for helping children with disabilities and their families achieve and thrive. Working here is both personally meaningful and professionally rewarding.

About Our Autism School

In partnership with the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio and local school districts, our Autism School provides a blended learning environment focused on language development, behavioral supports, and academic outcomes. We serve students from kindergarten through graduation using Ohio’s Academic Content Standards Extended as the foundation for curriculum development.

Our interdisciplinary team includes intervention specialists, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, behavior analysts and specialists, and teaching assistants. Together, we provide integrated instruction in academics and activities of daily living both in the school and in the community. We collaborate closely with families and district partners to support student growth and promote a return to a less restrictive learning environment whenever appropriate. We make a difference every day.

The Role

We are seeking a Teaching Assistant to support students in our Autism School classroom. In this role, you will work alongside the teacher and interdisciplinary team to create a structured, engaging, and supportive learning environment for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

What You Bring (Required)

• Experience working with students with special needs in a classroom, childcare, behavioral health, or related setting
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Ability to consistently respond to children in respectful, patient, and supportive ways
• Ability to work collaboratively with teachers, therapists, behavior staff, and families
• Willingness to support students with academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and activities of daily living as needed

Preferred

• Associate degree in Education, Child Development, Psychology, or a related field
• 1 to 2 years of experience working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Familiarity with Applied Behavior Analysis principles
• Experience supporting students in special education or therapeutic learning environments

$500 total bonus paid as follows:

• $150 after successful completion of the introductory period (90 days)
• $200 after 1 year

We offer excellent health and wellness benefits, paid time off aligned with the school year calendar, a retirement savings plan, and opportunities for professional development.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Achievement Centers for Children values and promotes diversity and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.