ED PARA,INTENSIVE DISAB,C (ESE)

Orange County Public Schools•South Apopka, FL

About The Position

Under direct supervision, provides assistance in the education, care, and development of students with severe disabilities. Performs instructional, clerical, and behavioral management duties under the direction of a certified teacher, guidance counselor, or administrator. Essential functions are performed according to the exceptional needs of assigned students, along with related work as directed. The position includes supporting students’ instructional, behavioral, developmental, physical, medical, and social/emotional needs throughout the school day. The employee assists with positive behavioral supports and crisis intervention, including physical restraint when necessary; helps students access transportation, learning areas, meals, restroom visits, and activities; and supports daily living, gross motor, and fine motor skills. The employee also assists teachers with lesson and behavior intervention plans, learning activities, instructional materials, and the collection and reporting of student progress data. Duties may include student monitoring, bus duty, assisting in labs, and translating lesson plans or other information for students. Employees are responsible for maintaining accurate and timely job-related information and keeping current with technology relevant to the position. New hires must successfully complete ESE Training within 45 days of hire. Work may involve exposure to adverse conditions, including violence when working with severely disabled or emotionally disturbed children. The district will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Requirements

Associate’s degree or higher, or at least 60 semester hours from an accredited institution; an official transcript is required to validate education.
Passing the paraprofessional certification exam may substitute for the educational requirement for highly qualified status.
Applicants must be highly qualified before starting employment with Orange County Public Schools.
At least two years of experience working with exceptional-needs school-age children (Pre-K through grade 12) in an educational environment that provides broad familiarity with the physical and emotional behaviors and challenges of children with severe disabilities; additional education may substitute for experience year for year.
Ability to fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work and effectively attend to the needs of school-age children with special needs.
Strong stress-management skills.
New hires must successfully complete ESE Training within 45 days of hire.
Ability to operate, maneuver, or control special-needs equipment and devices.
Physical capacity for very heavy work, including climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling heavy objects up to 100 pounds and occasionally heavier items.
Visual perception and discrimination; some tasks require oral communication and the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds.

Nice To Haves

Previous vocational training or work experience in a licensed child care environment.

Responsibilities

Respond to internal and external customers in a timely, accurate, courteous, and empathetic manner, representing OCPS positively.
Provide instructional, behavioral, and developmental assistance to students with severe disabilities as directed by a supervising teacher or other certified professional.
Apply positive behavioral support practices and assist students with problem-solving skills.
Assist with behavior interventions, including monitoring and charting student behaviors.
Apply crisis-intervention principles with students who display aggressive behavior and may require physical restraint.
Assist students arriving on buses, escort them between locations, help transfer them from wheelchairs, and monitor their medical and social/emotional needs.
Provide support and follow-up for assigned students with severe disabilities in in-school suspension.
Reinforce school and classroom rules, encourage appropriate behavior, and identify inappropriate behavior using positive behavioral supports.
Escort and provide one-on-one assistance during meals, restroom visits, and other school-day activities.
Assist with gross motor activities, including grasping, holding objects, posture, crawling, walking, and running, according to individual development.
Assist with fine motor activities, including use of assistive devices, job skills, and leisure skills, according to individual development.
Assist with daily living skills, including dressing, eating, toileting and diapering, grooming, and personal hygiene.
Assist teachers with lesson plans, behavior intervention plans, accommodations, learning activities, and instructional materials.
Assist teachers with collecting and reporting data for progress monitoring, progress reports, and IEP development and review.
Perform assigned monitoring duties, such as hallway, lunchroom, restroom, and bus duty; support appropriate student conduct and escort students to designated activities.
When assigned to labs, assist teachers and provide instruction or information to students; translate lesson plans or other information for student understanding when needed.
Keep current with job-relevant technology and attend district-supported training to maintain the required skill level.
Maintain timely and accurate information as part of job responsibilities.
Perform related duties as directed.