Learning Specialist Assistant

Learning Specialist Assistant

Performs a variety of duties in assisting a licensed teacher in the implementation of instructional programs for students with special needs. May function in an instructional setting separate from the teacher, exercising a considerable degree of skill with supervision within the framework of a teacher-planned and evaluated program.

The essential requirements and responsibilities of this position are listed below. Employees in this position must possess the ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodation.

• Make some independent judgments within prescribed policies and procedures
• Employ good judgment in a variety of situations, including emergencies
• Work with a variety of students and demonstrate a willingness to gain the information and training necessary to work effectively
• Possess the characteristics and understanding to be an effective member of an educational support team
• Comprehend and follow oral and written instructions and complete work within established time lines
• Communicate with appropriate student age group requiring the exercise of both empathetic and disciplinarian approaches
• Maintain a confidential, non-preferential, non-judgmental manner towards the students, staff, and program
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with supervisor, staff, and general public
• Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, word usage, and sentence construction of the English language as necessary to detect and correct basic errors in prepared materials
• Demonstrate mental acuity, processing skills and long and short term memory to track and meet deadlines and responsibilities
• Demonstrate ability to be at work, on time, every work day
• Preferred-Discrete Trial Training and Applied Behavorial Analysis Experience
• Spanish Preferred
• Must have AA Degree or Equivalent

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Intervene and separate quibbling children (includes lifting to 50 pounds, running, awkward positions)
• Stand and walk in playgrounds/classrooms for one to two hours at a time
• See near and far (i.e. constant observation of students)
• Discriminate colors (i.e. teaching colors)
• Hear sufficiently to perform the duties and responsibilities (i.e. understand speech which may be difficult to understand, listening for distress signals)
• Medium lifting occurs occasionally (20-50 lbs)
• Lifting occurs frequently (0-20 lbs)
• There is occasional light to medium carrying of supplies and equipment
• Pulling/pushing occurs occasionally (i.e. wheel chair, vacuuming, open/close doors, gait trainer and stander)
• Crawling, kneeling, climbing, cramped spaces and repeated bending occurs occasionally to frequently in the course of a day (i.e. toileting, loading bus, machinery control, working on same level as student, picking up trash, assisting student in bathroom)
• Balance upper body and hand/wrist movement occur often to frequent in the course of a day (i.e. assist with student balance, coordination in movement, writing, grabbing, keyboards, reaching, stretching)
• Ability to chase children who run
• Occasional use of household cleaning type chemicals (i.e. bleach)
• Occasional use of glues
• Constant exposure to blood and body fluids (i.e. spitting, feeding, changing, biting)
• Exposure to bees, pollens, head lice may occur occasionally to frequently
• Jobs in this classification are physically active positions that perform duties both inside and outside including exposure to inclement weather. Noise level can be normal to high. Students may demonstrate uncontrollable anger and volatile behavior and may be extremely handicapped. Employees are frequently to constantly exposed to blood and bodily fluids including but not limited to; spitting, feeding, changing, biting, body secretions (nasal, menstrual blood, feces, urine, etc.),
  
  testing blood sugar/ketones with a diabetic child or catheterized students.

This dress code is not a Personal Protection Equipment statement. PPE is addressed specifically for certain tasks and is the responsibility of the supervisor to instruction employee. This dress code covers the personal dress of the employee in this position. All employees will wear school appropriate work dress.

Below is a list of items to avoid wearing, it is not inclusive but gives the employee an idea of what types of items could cause a safety issue if worn:

• Jewelry(i.e. earrings that can be grabbed, pulled or that fingers can hook into; necklaces that hang over the clothing, bracelets that dangle can be grabbed or twisted; and rings if using equipment that could cause injury
• Dress pants and dresses should not be loose and flowing, they could become entangled in wheels or beds
• Hair should not be in styles or contain items that can be grabbed or pulled out of the hair
• Smocks or over shirts…