الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract SUMMARY In the field of phoniatrics, children with communication and learning disorders may face an evident problem at school entry. Integration in general education is the best choice for them when they reach school age. So, paraeducator professionals (PEP) play an increasingly prominent role in supporting students with disabilities in the general education classroom. PEP is the person who assists in the instruction and care of disabled students including management of student behavior, record keeping, instructional assistance, classroom organization and interaction with students under supervision and direction of a classroom teacher. Children whose ages range between 3-21 years old and meet the requirements of any of the following disabilities may need PEP: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Specific Learning Disability, Traumatic Brain Injury, Emotional and behavioral disorders, Down’s syndrome, Mental Retardation, Multiple Disabilities, Deafness, Hearing Impairment and Deaf/Blindness. The role of PEP is supporting students with disabilities academically, behaviorally, socially and physically. The academic role of PEPs includes: 1- Assisting in developing the Individual Education Program (IEP). 2- Assisting supplemental instruction. 3- Motivating Students with disabilities in classroom. 4- Taking part in activities that increase student independence and facilitate student transition from school to work and to community living. 5- Assisting students to use assistive instructional technology. 6- Maintaining files or records about student progress toward goals. While the behavioral support includes presenting a systematic behavioral support plans for inappropriate child’s behavior. The classroom teachers are responsible for creating positive behavioral strategies. While PEPs assist the supervising teacher in creating positive behavioral strategies, observing and recording behavior, Summary 112 implementing behavior plans and supervising students’ behavior during free play or class activities. The social role of PEPs allows a student with social and behavioral needs to be educated in a general education classroom or school rather than being placed in a more restrictive and segregated setting. They create environments that support and promote social competence and acceptance. This can be done by having awareness of how students process social information and know what specific social skills are needed for students to develop greater levels of social competence. The physical role of PEPs aims at inclusion of children with physical disabilities through modifications of methods of teaching for creating an effective and suitable learning environment. Therefore, teachers and PEPs share responsibility of supporting students with physical disabilities into the classroom. Class teachers are responsible for planning and delivering While PEPs are responsible for meeting their mobility and self-care needs in all school activities. Also they can inform the teacher about child’s progress and changing needs an appropriate curriculum that is accessible to the child. Therefore, PEPs are playing prominent and important roles in the education of children with disabilities. However, the use of PEPs to support students with disabilities may result in a series of unintended effects. These effects include: Interference with ownership and responsibility by classroom teachers. The excessive proximity of PEP to the student of disability lead to the following effects: Separation from classmates, dependence on adults, loss of personal control, loss of gender identity and interference with instruction of other students. As PEPs are performing important roles for inclusion of children with disabilities, they should be highly qualified and trained. One of the following qualifications of PEP should be present to be employed in general schools: Completing two years of study at an institution of higher education, obtaining an associate’s (or higher) degree and meeting formal standard of quality and demonstrating the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing and mathematics. PEPs perform their duties effectively when they are appropriately supervised. So, supervision should be done on regularly scheduled basis. Supervision of PEPs includes all activities done by teachers to provide direction and guidance to the work of PEPs and its type and level should be based on the skills and experience of the PEP, the needs of the student, the instructional setting and the task assigned. However, New PEP will require more supervision as well as a PEP who is involved with a new student. Also, appropriate supervision requires that the supervisors have skills necessary to direct and manage PEPs’ activities, skills in working as part of a team and the ability to make the PEP a part of the instructional team |