Educational Support Professional

Educational Support Professional DEFINITION

The Educational Professional assists the Special Ed. Teacher in providing additional, educational support for students in special education classes. A priority for students with Autism, Intellectual Disability and Developmental delays is to support these students to acquire, develop, and maintain skills to direct their own personal care and foster independence. The goal is that each student is able to achieve their optimal develop.

The Educational Professional is responsible for providing interventions and support to meet safety, health and personal care. These needs may include lifting, translocating, movement and positioning, feeding, toileting including changing of diapers.

Receives supervision from the School Principal, Special Ed. Teacher.

• Implement instruction in various environments, based on lesson plans provided by the Teacher
• Curriculum delivery
• Reinforce learning with individuals or small groups
• Assist individuals with self-care, personal care, and mobility
• Assist with on-going behavior management
• Assist in data collection and other clerical tasks
• Prepare, produce, and maintain instructional materials
• Help develop student schedules
• Participate with other assistants as an educational team

• Communicate effectively in a sensitive, courteous manner with students, parents, SEC staff, service delivery professionals and the general public even in difficult situations
• Use interpersonal skills: tact, patience, and courtesy
• Ability to be a TEAM player
• Keep and maintain accurate records/data
• Establish and maintain cooperation and effective working relationships with others
• Understanding and a commitment to CONFIDENTIALITY
• Understand and carry out oral and written directions
• Prepare clear and concise reports
• Learn, interpret, apply and explain policies and procedures
• Physically implement emergency behavior interventions, when trained in an appropriate program for proactive management of student assaultive behaviors
• Follow procedures for handling contact with sick children, dissatisfied or abusive individuals; possible contact with blood borne pathogens and/or bodily fluids; possible injury from punching, hitting, slapping, pushing and biting; exposure to profanity, obscene language and personal verbal attacks, when trained and provided appropriate materials

• Any combination of training, experience, and/or education equivalent to graduation from high school and experience with special needs students is preferred

• Possession of a valid California Class C Driver License, Possession of a valid First Aid and CPR Certificate within the first 3 months of employment.

• Characteristics of a range of disabilities including but not limited to autism, traumatic brain injury and emotional disturbance
• Student guidance principles and practices, especially as related to special needs students
• Interpersonal skills using tact, patience and courtesy
• Data collection and report writing
• Positive behavioral intervention strategies
• Modern office methods utilizing computer technology and assigned software

Employees in this position must have the ability to:

• Sit for prolonged periods of time
• Stand and walk on hard and/or uneven surfaces for extended periods of time
• Frequent bending/stooping; squatting, crouching, kneeling
• Occasional reaching overhead, above shoulder height and horizontally
• Occasional to frequent pushing/pulling, lifting, reaching overhead to assist with instructional activities
• Frequent simple to firm grasping to seize, hold, grasp, turn or otherwise work with hands to assist with instructional activities
• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer…