Teacher Assistant, Special Education (Autism) | SY 2025-2026

Norfolk Public School District•Norfolk, VA

About The Position

This position is responsible for providing assistance to a special education classroom teacher, performing a variety of tasks relating to the physical and instructional needs of students with disabilities in the general or special education setting. The incumbent in this position also assists in the implementation of classroom programs, including self-help and behavior management as well as instruction.

Requirements

Requires completion of at least sixty (60) college credit hours from an accredited college or university; or must have achieved a score of 455 on the Department of Education Para-Pro exam.
At least two years of experience working with children; to include experience working with special education students in a classroom setting.
Requires some knowledge of child growth and development, group interaction, health, safety, and first-aid methods.
Requires continuous standing, walking, lifting and physical restraint.
Work may include noise and/or disruptive student behavior and exposure to student bodily fluids.
Requires sensitivity to the ways physical and mental disabilities affect the behavior of children.
Ability to assist in providing a wide variety of stimulating experiences for children to meet their individual, intellectual, and emotional needs.
Incumbent should be able to lift 50 pounds.
Ability to effectively communicate with parents, teachers, and administrators.
Works under the direct supervision of the classroom teacher and administrative personnel according to established policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

Provides instructional support to teachers in the daily management and instruction of special education students.
Works with individual and small groups of children to develop fine and gross motor skills.
Responsible for performing instruction and clerical tasks to relieve teacher of routine activities and to help carry out daily classroom activities.
May be required to work at various locations with various assignments to include; pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, regular general education classrooms, special education, or computer learning center/lab.
Performs designated learning tasks with students such as, demonstrating or explaining lessons, prompting student participation, monitoring during tests, and assisting with other instructional tasks.
May be required to attend to children with various levels of mental and physical disabilities (LD, MR, ED, and PH).
May serve part-time in an alternative learning class.
Responsible for operating office equipment and audio-visual equipment.
Assists in therapeutic crisis intervention.
Performs a wide variety of monitoring, record keeping, and file maintenance for an accelerated learning program.
Assists students in physical activities; to include escorting children to the library, playground activities, lunchroom breaks, resource classes, restrooms, and field trips.
May be required to work one-on-one or with a group of students; to include assisting students with physical and sanitation needs.
Responsible for monitoring children in the absence of the teacher.
Performs additional duties as assigned.