Managing Paraprofessionals in the Self Contained Classroom

One of the challenges working  in a self- contained autism unit is consistency among paraprofessionals. My classroom is typically comprised of two to three paraprofessionals that work alongside me to support students medical, behavioral, and academic needs. With that being, said it can be challenging to keep all staff consistent and  on the same page. Consistency is important when working with students with autism. Students with autism need predictable routines, consistent common language among staff, decreased auditory bombardment, and wait time for processing. To ensure that these needs are met I work with both staff and students on these areas for several weeks at the beginning of the school year. 

At the beginning of the school year, I share with paraprofessional staff the common language we will use in our classroom to support transitioning and academics. Some of the common language used in my classroom include 

1. "Check your schedule" (Teacher and Staff use this common language when asking students to check their individual picture schedules when transitioning to a new activity) 

2. "Hands work with your eyes" (Teacher and staff use this common language when asking students to complete fine motor tasks.) 

3. "Stop and freeze" (Teacher and staff use this common language if student is engaging in unsafe behavior) 

These are just to name a few. Our entire school day is built around consistent common language from lining up, using the bathroom, and packing/ unpacking bookbags. 

I understand as a self- contained classroom teacher that it can be overwhelming  to get paraprofessional staff consistent and on board. Over the years I have found that paraprofessionals have the right intentions to serve students but do not always have the educational or training background to support the autism population. With that being said, I keep the lines of communication open between myself and staff. I have also learned that classroom visuals are not just for students but can also serve as reminders for classroom staff. For instance,  in my classroom I have the steps of prompting posted for classroom staff. This serves as a reminder to help support staff when a student is refusing to follow directions or may need extra time to process. Steps to prompting include gestural, visual, verbal, modeling, and physical. It is critical that staff follow these steps exactly to deter a student from going into escalating behaviors or shutting down. Often staff want to go right to verbal prompting. This is the third step because often times students need to time to process the direction or task at hand. Verbal cueing can create auditory bombarment for the student. When this occurs the students will often go into shut down mode. To combat this all staff in my classroom wear a visual necklace. This neckalce includes visuals with basic prompts students need to follow such as stand, sit, work, and be quiet. Staff understand that they should try a visual with a student prior to giving the student a verbal cue. 

Understanding how much "wait time" is determined by knowing and understanding your individual students. Some students may just need a few seconds to process and others may need  up to a minute. I have found a good rule of thumb is to sing "Happy Birthday" in your head one time and then try to prompt the student. You may need to adjust this depending on the child. 

Lastly, over the last couple of years I started using a specific "code word" in my classroom with paraprofessionals. Staff in the classroom only know the code word and it serves as a way to signal to myself or other staff in the classroom that an adult needs assistance or break from a student. Our current code word in our classroom is "Bulldogs." By doing this it eliminates some staff frustration and burn out. Staff also understand that they are supported by their classroom teacher which builds trust and community within the classroom. 

Supporting and managing paraprofessionals in the classroom is a continual  learning process for me. They do not teach you how to do this when you go to school to be a teacher. I have learned as I went and took the advice from teacher colleagues. When I was in graduate school my graduate research project was about managing and utilizing paraprofessional in the self- contained classroom. I wrote this research in my fourth year teaching. Since then I have more ideas and would expand upon many of the ideas noted in that paper. When I first started teaching my biggest struggle was utilizing my paraprofessionals purposefully. Now that I am in my seventh year teaching I am always working on  keeping my paraprofessionals on the same page and consistent. No one can do thier own thing we have to work together to best serve our students.  I will continue to share more of my ideas, strategies, and successes with you in this area. When all staff members work together you will find that your stress levels go down and your students thrive in your classroom environement. You will have happy and successful kids. Unitl next time teacher friends. Enjoy your new week. See the possible. Peace. 

Dulce