Helping Hands

Has the most detailed knowledge of their day-to-day strengths and needs in the classroom

Also might work with an Inclusion Facilitator - this professional might meet with you regularly to monitor students' progress, problem solve with you about student concerns, and coordinate students' services.

Divides time among directly instructing students, working with teachers regarding student needs, and co-teaching.

Typically works in a high school setting and helps prepare students to leave school for vocational training, employment, or post-secondary education.

This professional accompanies a student to a job site and helps him or her master the skills needed to do the job successfully.

Offer at least two types of expertise related to education students with disabilities. Often have a major responsibility for determining a student's intellectual, academic, social, emotional, and and/or behavioral functioning.

May serve as consultants to teachers and also may provide individual or group assistance to students.

Most likely to participate actively in the education of students with disabilities. Administrators are the school principal, assistant principal, and sometimes a department chairperson or team leader.

Assesses and intervenes related to gross motor skills, that is, large muscle activity such as gait.

Assesses and intervenes related to fine motor skills. that is, small muscle activity such as grasping a pencil.

Gathers needed medical info about students with disabilites and interprets such info from physicians and other medical personnel.

Helps students with visual impairments learn how to become familiar with their environments and how to travel from place to place safely.

Provides services away from school and serves as the liaison between such services and school personnel, especially during transition from such services back to school.

Are the professionals with whom you are most likely to have ongoing contact in teaching students with disabilities, and have increasingly complex roles.

Travel between two or more school sites to provide services to students.

They support students by creating adapted materials, teaching with you in the general education classroom, working directly and separately with students who have disabilities, and often serving as coordinators for all the services any single student may receive.

Most often advise high school students and assist students with disabilities as they transition from school to post-school options. They also work at other school levels and contribute to the education of students with disabilities.

Are professionals who specialize in meeting students' communication needs.

Specializes in understanding the sometimes complex procedures of special education. They help alleviate the pressure on principals and assistant principals to accurately interpret and follow guidelines.

Might also be called paraeducators, instructional assistants, teaching assistants

Also may be referred to as personal assistants or one-to-one assistants

Designs physical education activities for students with physical, health, or other special needs that affect participation in traditional programs.

Specializes in serving students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds because of expertise in both special education and bilingual education.

Listens to classroom instruction and relays students who are deaf or hard of hearing using sign language.

Serves as an advisor and sometimes represents parents at meetings related to their children with disabilities, especially when parents believe they are not knowledgeable enough about the legal and educational requirements of special education.