Therapeutic Assistant

Richland County School District One, South Carolina

Classification Description

• Position Type: SUMMER PROGRAMS/ CLASSIFIED-INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT
• Date Posted: 3/10/2026
• Location: SPECIAL SERVICES

Classification

Title:

Therapeutic Assistant

Class Code: 0639

Days per year: 184

Salary Range: $27,453.68 - $40,494.87

Under limited supervision, intervenes with students in crises to manage behavior problems and to facilitate emotionally handicapped students' academic and social progress. Assists teachers and school administrators in preventing or controlling classroom disturbances caused by students' non-compliance with school and class rules of behavior. Counsels and assists individual students as appropriate. Reports to the assigned principal and Director of Special Education.

• Assists students with classroom assignments by helping them to stay focused and on task.
• Removes emotionally handicapped students from the classroom setting when their behavior is a classroom disturbance or when behavior is potentially dangerous to self or others; attempts to calm students; monitors students in a remote setting and documents behavior.
• Counsels students on how to manage behavior; discusses student incidents and cases with psychologists and teachers.
• Provides one‑on‑one, family and group counseling for students; provides instructions for reversing inappropriate behavior and rewards positive behavior; assists students with class assignments as necessary.
• Plans and implements recreational, educational and therapeutic activities.
• Assists teachers in modifying class lessons and activities to meet the needs of individual students; assists colleagues and parents in devising strategies to enhance students' performance and positive behavior.
• Keeps abreast of developments and innovations in the profession.
• Receives, reviews, prepares and/or submits various records and reports including daily reports, monthly reports, incident reports, referrals, memos, and correspondence.
• Operates and maintains a variety of equipment such as a computer, typewriter, copier, telephone, and audio‑visual equipment.
• Interacts and communicates with various groups and individuals such as the immediate supervisor, District and school administrators, consultants, teachers, psychologists, medical professionals, social workers, other District personnel, students, parents, and the general public.
• Complies with all federal laws, state statutes, Board policies, administrative rules, and directives.

• Supervises students in detention or during lunch.
• Performs general administrative / clerical tasks as needed, including but not limited to typing reports and correspondence, copying and filing documents, filling out forms, answering the telephone, faxing information, attending meetings, etc.
• Performs related duties as required.

Requires a Bachelor's degree in education, special education, child development, or a closely related field supplemented by one year of related special education or mental health experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of machines and equipment including a computer, telephone, basic office equipment, vehicle, hand and power tools, wheelchairs, etc. Must be able to exert up to twenty pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move persons and objects. Physical demands are in excess of those for sedentary work;

work involves walking or standing for periods of time, stooping, kneeling, pushing, pulling, and performing light manual tasks. Must be able to lift and/or carry weights of up to thirty pounds.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable functional, structural or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communications: Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes receiving assignments and/or direction from supervisor.

Language Ability: Requires ability to read a variety of laws, policies and procedures, evaluation materials, professional studies, medical reference materials, etc. Requires the ability to prepare complex reports, progress reports, records, correspondence, etc. with proper format, punctuation, spelling and grammar, using all parts of speech. Requires the ability to speak with and before others with poise, voice control and confidence.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply rational systems to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; to interpret a variety of…