Classroom Associate

Classroom Associate

Positive Education Program PEP Prentiss Autism Center – Cleveland, Ohio

Provide support to the assessment, planning, instruction, and documentation of education services and activities for assigned students as assigned by the Principal.

• Align practice and work with the agency mission, vision, guiding principles, the trauma-informed Sanctuary Model, the Neurosequential Model and the Re‑ED philosophy.
• Work cooperatively and collaboratively with classroom teaching team(s) to implement the daily instructional plans.
• Provide assistance and close supervision of all assigned students throughout planned classroom and instructional activities.
• Make teaching materials, bulletin boards and other instructional materials as directed by the teacher‑counselor and/or supervisor.
• Share responsibility for all areas of classroom structure and organization, including but not limited to appropriate visual displays (charts, graphs and posters) and functional behavioral data collection, recording and analysis.
• Complete daily documentation in a timely fashion and in accordance with PEP policies and procedures.
• Transport students in agency vehicles to community activities and volunteer work sites as needed.
• Follow procedures for providing respectful and appropriate assistance to students for personal grooming, hygiene and toileting.
• Participate, and pass requirements where applicable, in all required trainings, including but not limited to Vehicle Safety, First Aid, CPR, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Blood Borne Pathogens and Standards of Practice.
• Participate in staff development activities, parent conferences, team meetings and staff meetings as scheduled or assigned.
• Ability to work respectfully with a culturally diverse population of clients.
• Utilize safe work practices for self and others.
• Demonstrate word processing skills and program navigation skills.
• As a representative of the agency and profession, present self with decorum and in dress that is appropriate to the day’s activities.
• Adhere to PEP and ESC policies and procedures, as applicable.

• Bachelor’s degree, preferred. Associate degree, minimally. Less than AA considered with appropriate experience.
• Appropriate related experience working with children with autism and other developmentally delays.
• Ability to communicate accurately and effectively, both written and orally.
• Demonstrate effective decision‑making skills.
• Utilize good judgment under routine and stressful work conditions.
• Work professionally, effectively and collaboratively with others.

• Ability to participate in physical interventions, when necessary, and with fidelity to the methods taught through the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention model. Physical interventions are low in frequency but require intense physical exertion. The object is to safely control/maintain a struggling and aggressive young person ranging from 50–250+ pounds. Physical requirements include, but are not limited to, kneeling, possibly for extended periods of time on hard surfaces, bending, twisting and holding.
• Ability to participate in therapeutic outdoor education/field trips which may involve hiking, biking, climbing and swimming.
• Ability to use a computer and keyboard (eye‑hand coordination and repetitive movements related to keyboarding).
• Ability to move around the classroom/center/community and sit and stand for more than an hour at a time.
• Ability to visually and auditorily assess and monitor the mental health status of students for safety purposes.
• Ability to meet driver eligibility standards and operate an agency leased vehicle (see physical form for additional information).