North Side | 6.5hr Moderate Mental Disability School Assistant

Special Education Assistant

Assist teachers with a variety of instructional, clerical, student management, and daily life activities for special education students in special education or general classrooms.

Minimum Qualifications

• Candidate must have a high school diploma or GED. Prefer candidate who has previous experience working with students with special needs.
• Must be flexible to meet the changing needs of students and have strong tutorial skills. Must be able to relate well with students, staff and parents.
• Candidate must have a strong desire to see young people be successful.
• Must have a positive attitude and be able to complete tasks independently.
• Must have strong office, computer, and oral and written communication skills.
• Incumbents must possess knowledge of child guidance principles and practices, and basic instructional methods and techniques.
• Must be willing to supervise students in community settings.
• Must participate in training provided by the Special Education Department.

Essential Functions

• Provide continuous or designated one-to-one support to the assigned student throughout the school day and during school-sponsored activities, as directed by the student's IEP and educational team.
• Assist the student in accessing instruction, classroom activities, school routines, and the general education environment to the greatest extent appropriate.
• Modify or adapt materials and activities as directed by licensed instructional staff.
• Reinforce academic concepts and skills previously introduced by the classroom or special education teacher.
• Provide prompts, cues, modeling, redirection, and reinforcement consistent with the student's educational plan.
• Support the student's functional communication across classroom, social, and school environments.
• Assist the student with use of augmentative or alternative communication systems, visual schedules, communication devices, picture systems, or other communication supports when applicable.
• Reinforce appropriate social interaction, peer engagement, turn-taking, self-advocacy, and other social skills identified by the educational team.
• Encourage developmentally appropriate communication and interaction while maintaining the student's dignity and respecting individual communication preferences.
• Implement behavioral strategies, positive behavioral supports, reinforcement systems, sensory supports, visual supports, and structured routines as directed by the student's IEP, BIP, or educational team.
• Recognize signs that the student may be becoming overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious, dysregulated, or otherwise in need of additional support and respond according to established plans and training.
• Assist the student in using taught coping, self-regulation, sensory, and de-escalation strategies.
• Respond appropriately to challenging behaviors while maintaining a calm, professional, and supportive approach.
• Avoid the use of punishment, humiliation, unnecessary confrontation, or behavioral practices not authorized by the student's educational plan or district procedures.
• Provide the minimum level of assistance necessary for the student to participate successfully and safely.
• Systematically reduce or fade prompts and adult assistance when appropriate and as directed by the educational team.
• Encourage the student to make choices, communicate needs, solve problems, participate with peers, and perform tasks independently whenever possible.
• Maintain appropriate supervision of the assigned student throughout the school day and during transitions, arrival, dismissal, meals, recess, transportation, community-based activities, and other assigned settings.
• Closely monitor the student's safety when the student's disability may affect awareness of hazards, impulse control, elopement, communication of needs, or other safety-related skills.
• Follow established procedures for students who wander, elope, engage in unsafe behavior, or require enhanced supervision.
• Immediately report safety concerns, injuries, suspected abuse or neglect, bullying, threats of self-harm, or other concerns in accordance with district procedures and applicable law.
• Assist the student, when required by the IEP or individual needs, with activities such as eating, dressing, toileting, hygiene, mobility, positioning, and other personal care activities.
• Maintain the student's privacy and dignity while providing personal assistance.
• Follow applicable health, sanitation, infection-control, universal precautions, and student care procedures.
• Assist the student in safely navigating classrooms, hallways, stairs, playgrounds, buses, cafeterias, and other school environments.
• Assist with transfers, positioning, adaptive equipment, mobility devices, or other physical supports when required and when appropriately trained.
• Participate in student evacuation and emergency procedures as required.
• Perform physical assistance associated with the student's documented needs, consistent with district training and established procedures.
• Accurately collect academic, behavioral, communication, social, attendance, functional, or other student data as directed by licensed staff.
• Document observations objectively and accurately without making independent diagnoses or clinical conclusions.
• Provide relevant information to teachers and other members of the educational team regarding student progress, behavior, needs, and response to interventions.
• Maintain required records and documentation in accordance with district procedures.
• Become familiar with those portions of the student's IEP, BIP, safety plan, health plan, or other educational plans necessary to perform assigned duties.
• Implement accommodations, modifications, supports, and services as directed by licensed staff.
• Follow the instructional and behavioral direction of the student's teacher, special education teacher, case manager, and other authorized professionals.
• Communicate concerns regarding the student's program or progress to appropriate licensed staff rather than independently changing established interventions. Prepare and assist the student with transitions between classrooms, activities, staff members, transportation, lunch, recess, specials, assemblies, field trips, and other school settings.
• Use visual schedules, advance notice, timers, social narratives, first/then strategies, or other supports identified by the educational team.
• Provide additional structure and support during changes in routines, substitute-teacher days, special events, drills, and other situations that may be challenging for the student. Follow the student's established crisis, behavior, and safety plans.
• Use district-approved de-escalation strategies and maintain student and staff safety during behavioral incidents.
• Implement physical intervention, restraint, or seclusion only when permitted by law and district policy, when circumstances legally warrant such intervention, and when the employee has received required training.
• Promptly report and document behavioral and safety incidents according to district procedures. Work cooperatively with special education teachers, general education teachers, administrators, therapists, psychologists, behavior specialists, nurses, transportation personnel, and other members of the student's educational team.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
• Protect confidential student information in accordance with FERPA, district policy, and other applicable requirements.
• Participate in training and maintain required skills.
• Support the FWCS Schools of Success mission to empower all students to reach their potential through equitable and relevant community-connected experiences to ensure students achieve at least one of the 4E's - (Enrollment, Employment, Enlistment, or Entrepreneurship.)
• Positively promote and embody the FWCS Schools of Success six core competencies in our daily work: Creativity and Innovation, Critical and Analytical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Cultural Agility, and Self-Direction.
• Perform related duties, as assigned.

Physical Requirements

To perform the essential functions of this job effectively and safely, employees must meet the following physical qualifications:

• Communication Skills: Ability to speak clearly and hear effectively in various environments.
• Manual Dexterity: Adeptness in the use of hands and fingers.
• Postural Endurance: Sit or stand for prolonged periods, as the job requires.
• Flexibility: Ability to bend at the waist, kneel, or crouch to perform specific duties.
• Visual Acuity: Close vision ability with the capacity to adjust focus.
• Mobility: Freedom to sit or walk at will throughout the work environment.
• Strength and Stamina: Capability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to twenty (25) pounds or more.

FWCS will reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.