Assessing Paraprofessionals’ Perceived Educational Needs and Skill Level with Function-based Behavioral Intervention

Focus Autism Other Dev Disabl

Ottley

et al. 2022

Self Cite

There is a research-to-practice gap in the identification and use of evidence-based practices in special education. One way to better understand the persistent gap between research and practice and to inform professional development efforts is through gaining an understanding of teacher and paraprofessional perceptions. We conducted a survey study to identify paraprofessionals’ perceived skills and needs regarding categories of practices aligning with evidence-based practices for students with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 768 paraprofessionals completed the survey. We used descriptive statistics, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs), post hoc analyses, and chi-square tests to analyze paraprofessionals’ responses. Paraprofessionals reported a range of responses and several of their responses differed significantly in relation to their experience and the population of students they supported. Findings suggest there is a need to individualize professional development based on both classroom and paraprofessional training needs. Future research is needed to determine how paraprofessionals’ perceptions align with their practice.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Paraprofessionals’ Perceived Skills and Needs in Supporting Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Coogle

Focus Autism Other Dev Disabl

Ottley

et al. 2022

Self Cite

“…In the current study, a university researcher who was not affiliated with the special education teacher’s school provided the professional development and supported the special education teacher throughout the duration of the project. We believe that this approach was acceptable for the purposes of conducting a study but is not necessarily feasible or contextually appropriate for all schools and school districts (e.g., Walker, 2017). A school member in the trainer role would be more readily available (and part of a long-term, sustainable support plan) to offer on-going support as teachers navigate paraprofessional training.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teacher-Delivered Training to Promote Paraprofessional Implementation of Systematic Instruction

Teacher Education and Special Education

Douglas

Brewer

2019

Self Cite

As paraprofessionals gain more instructional responsibilities for individual students, feasible training strategies must be established to promote effective delivery of instruction. This train-the-trainer study was designed to teach paraprofessionals how to implement an evidence-based instructional practice under the direction of the classroom teacher. After receiving training from a university researcher, a special education teacher trained three paraprofessionals to implement constant time delay while teaching three students with multiple disabilities. The paraprofessional training consisted of a workshop, video modeling, and coaching with performance feedback. A single-case multiple baseline across paraprofessionals design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the teacher-delivered training package. All paraprofessionals implemented the systematic instructional procedures with high levels of fidelity and accuracy after training. The special education teacher and paraprofessionals shared their perceptions on the highly effective training and value of the study through social validity surveys. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.

“…Three paraprofessionals were selected to participate in the study due to their role in supporting student participants during targeted problematic activities. Each paraprofessional completed a survey to assess their perceived skill level and training needs (none, low, moderate, and high) in the area of FBI (see Walker, 2016). Jake's paraprofessional was a 69-year-old African American female.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching Paraprofessionals to Implement Function-Based Interventions

Focus Autism Other Dev Disabl

Snell

2016

Self Cite

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of workshops and coaching on paraprofessional implementation of function-based interventions. The results of indirect and direct functional behavior assessment guided the development of intervention strategies for three students with autism and intellectual disability. Following intervention, students' appropriate behavior increased and challenging behavior decreased. In general, paraprofessionals implemented strategies with high levels of fidelity and judged both the coaching and workshop training procedures and student intervention strategies as socially valid. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.