Special Education Assistant

Compensation

Salary Schedule

Overview

Under direct supervision, the purpose of the position is to provide assistance in the education, care, and development of students with severe disabilities. Employees in this classification perform instructional, clerical, and behavioral management duties. Work is performed under the direction of a certified teacher, guidance counselor, or administrator. Essential functions as outlined herein are performed according to the exceptional needs of assigned students. Performs related work as directed.

Responsibilities and Qualifications

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONSResponds 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.The list of essential functions, as outlined herein, is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within this classification. It is not necessarily descriptive of any one position in the class. The omission of an essential function does not preclude management from assigning duties not listed herein if such functions are a logical assignment to the position.MARGINAL FUNCTIONSWhile the following tasks are necessary for the work of the unit, they are not an essential part of the purpose of this position and may also be performed by other unit members.Performs related duties as directed.MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCEAssociate’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 fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work, and effectively attend to the needs of school age children; 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 (Pre-K thru 12) in an educational environment that provides broad familiarity and understanding of the physical and emotional behaviors 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 fulfill 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.PERFORMANCE APTITUDESData Utilization: Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or assess data and/or information using established criteria. Includes exercise of discretion in determining actual or probable consequences, and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.Human Interaction: Requires the ability to assist persons by action or interaction in carrying out specialized therapeutic or physical care plans and procedures.Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of special needs equipment and devices.Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and advisory data and information.Mathematical Aptitude: Depending on school grade classroom of assignment, may require the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; may require ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may require ability to utilize principles of fractions and/or interpret graphs.Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership. Ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.ADA COMPLIANCEPhysical Ability: Tasks involve the ability to exert very heavy physical effort in very heavy work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of heavy objects and materials (up to 100 pounds) and occasionally heavier items (100 pounds or over).Sensory Requirements: Most tasks require visual perception and discrimination. Some tasks require oral communications ability. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds.Environmental Factors: Tasks are regularly performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as violence when working with severely disabled or emotionally disturbed children.The Orange County School District will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to allow them to perform the essential functions of the job when such individuals request an accommodation.10/01/2025