ED PARA,INTENSIVE DISAB,C (ESE)

Orange County Public Schools•Ocoee, FL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Under direct supervision, provides assistance with the education, care, and development of students with severe disabilities. Performs instructional, clerical, and behavioral management duties according to the exceptional needs of assigned students. Work is performed under the direction of a certified teacher, guidance counselor, or administrator. Related duties may be assigned as directed.

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.
Must be highly qualified before beginning 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 and the ability to meet the dexterity and physical requirements of the work and effectively attend to children’s special needs.
Ability to effectively attend to the needs of school-age children.
New hires must successfully complete ESE Training within 45 days of hire.
Ability to assist people in carrying out specialized therapeutic or physical care plans and procedures.
Ability to operate, maneuver, or control special-needs equipment and devices.
Depending on classroom assignment, ability to perform arithmetic operations, calculate decimals and percentages, use fractions, or interpret graphs.
Ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, creativity, and independent judgment in assessing information and resolving problems.
Ability to exert very heavy physical effort, including lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling heavy objects and materials up to 100 pounds and occasionally heavier items.
Ability to perform tasks involving climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling.
Ability to meet visual perception and discrimination requirements; 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 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 developing problem-solving skills.
Assist with behavior interventions, including monitoring and charting student behaviors.
Apply crisis intervention principles when students display aggressive behavior and may require physical restraint.
Assist students as they arrive by bus; escort them to and from learning areas; help transfer students from wheelchairs; and monitor their medical and social-emotional needs.
Provide support and follow-up for students assigned to 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 activities throughout the school day.
Assist students 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 and participation in job-skills and leisure-skills activities.
Assist students with daily living skills, including dressing, eating, toileting and diapering, grooming, and personal hygiene.
Assist teachers in developing lesson plans, behavior intervention plans, and accommodations; contribute to 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 areas such as hallways, lunchrooms, restrooms, and buses; promote appropriate student conduct and escort students to designated activities.
Provide assistance to teachers and instructional information to students in assigned labs; translate lesson plans or other information when assigned to support student understanding.
Keep current with job-related technology and attend district-supported training as needed to maintain required technology skills.
Maintain timely and accurate information as part of job responsibilities.
Perform related duties as directed.