ED PARA,INTENSIVE DISAB,C (ESE)

Orange County Public Schools•Maitland, FL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Under direct supervision, this position assists 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 tailored to the exceptional needs of assigned students, and related work may be assigned as directed. The role provides instructional, behavioral, developmental, and personal-care assistance throughout the school day. It includes supporting students’ learning and daily living activities, implementing positive behavioral supports and crisis interventions, monitoring and reporting progress, and assisting teachers with lesson planning and individualized education program (IEP) work. Employees may also perform student-monitoring, escort, and bus duties and help students use appropriate equipment and devices. Applicants must meet the highly qualified requirement before starting employment. New hires must complete ESE Training within 45 days of hire. The work may involve substantial physical effort, including lifting and carrying heavy items, and regular exposure to challenging environmental conditions, including violence when working with severely disabled or emotionally disturbed children. Reasonable accommodations will be provided 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.
Passing the paraprofessional certification exam may substitute for the educational requirement for 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 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.
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 with specialized therapeutic or physical-care plans and procedures.
Ability to operate, maneuver, or control special-needs equipment and devices.
Ability to exercise judgment and apply facts and principles to develop approaches and techniques for resolving problems.
Must successfully complete ESE Training within 45 days of hire.

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 positive behavioral-support practices and help teach problem-solving skills as directed.
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, accompany them between learning areas, help 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.
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, as appropriate to individual development.
Assist with fine motor activities, including use of assistive devices, job skills, and leisure skills, as appropriate to individual development.
Assist with daily living skills, including dressing, eating, lavatory needs and diapering, grooming, and personal hygiene.
Assist the teacher with lesson plans, behavior intervention plans, accommodations, learning activities, and preparation of instructional materials.
Assist the teacher with collecting and reporting data for progress monitoring, progress reports, and IEP development and review.
Perform assigned monitoring duties in areas such as hallways, lunchrooms, restrooms, and buses; 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 and other information when needed to improve student understanding.
Keep current with job-related technology and attend district-supported training to maintain required technology skills.
Maintain timely and accurate information as part of job responsibilities.
Perform related duties as directed.