ED PARA,INTENSIVE DISAB,C (ESE)

Orange County Public Schools•Apopka, FL

10h

About The Position

Under direct supervision, this position provides assistance in the education, care, and development of students with severe disabilities. The employee performs instructional, clerical, and behavioral management duties under the direction of a certified teacher, guidance counselor, or administrator. Duties are carried out according to the exceptional needs of assigned students, and related work may be assigned as directed. The role includes providing instructional, behavioral, developmental, and personal-care support; helping students participate in learning and daily activities; supporting positive behavior and crisis intervention; and assisting teachers with lesson preparation, accommodations, behavioral plans, and student progress information. Employees may also perform student monitoring and escort duties in various school settings. The position requires an associate’s degree or higher, at least 60 semester hours from an accredited higher education institution, or a passing paraprofessional certification exam as a substitute for the education requirement. Applicants must meet highly qualified status before starting employment. A minimum of two years of experience working with exceptional-needs school-age children in an educational environment is required, though additional education may substitute for experience year for year. New hires must complete ESE Training within 45 days of hire. The work involves substantial physical effort, including lifting or moving heavy objects and materials, and may expose employees to violence when working with severely disabled or emotionally disturbed children. The district provides 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 of higher education; an official transcript is required to validate education.
A passing paraprofessional certification exam may substitute for the educational requirement to meet highly qualified status.
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; additional education may substitute for experience year for year.
Strong stress-management skills.
Ability to fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work and effectively attend to the needs of school-age children with special needs.
Ability to assist people with specialized therapeutic or physical care plans and procedures.
Ability to operate, maneuver, or control special-needs equipment and devices.
New hires must successfully complete ESE Training within 45 days of hire.
Ability to perform the physical demands described, including very heavy physical effort and lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling heavy objects and materials.

Nice To Haves

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

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 basic positive behavioral support practices and assist students in learning problem-solving skills.
Assist with behavior interventions, including monitoring and charting student behaviors.
Use crisis intervention principles with students who display aggressive behavior and may require physical restraint.
Assist students arriving on buses, escort them to and from learning areas, transfer students from wheelchairs, and monitor their medical and social-emotional needs.
Provide support and follow-up for students with severe disabilities assigned to in-school suspension.
Reinforce school and learning-environment rules, encourage appropriate behavior, and identify inappropriate behavior using a positive behavioral support approach.
Provide one-on-one assistance and escort students during meals, restroom visits, and other school-day activities.
Assist students with gross motor activities, including grasping, holding objects, posture, crawling, walking, and running, as appropriate to their development.
Assist students with fine motor activities, including use of assistive devices, job skills, and leisure skills, as appropriate to their development.
Assist students with daily living skills, including dressing, eating, lavatory needs and diapering, grooming, and personal hygiene.
Assist teachers in developing lesson plans, behavior intervention plans, and accommodations; provide input on learning activities; and prepare instructional materials.
Assist teachers with collecting and reporting data for progress monitoring, progress reports, and IEP development and review.
Perform assigned monitoring duties in locations such as hallways, lunchrooms, restrooms, and buses; support appropriate student conduct and escort students to designated activity areas.
Assist teachers in assigned labs and provide instruction or information to students; translate lesson plans and other information when assigned to support student understanding.
Keep current with job-appropriate technology used by OCPS and attend district-supported training as needed.
Maintain timely and accurate information related to job responsibilities.
Perform related duties as directed.