“Be Careful What You Wish for …”: Five Reasons to be concerned about the Assignment of <i>Individual</i> Paraprofessionals

Abstract

what you wish for; you just might get it.” It is a wise adage both school personnel and families might want to keep in mind when considering whether students with disabilities who are placed in general education classes should be provided with individual paraprofessional support. Virtually everyone having any connection with special education can tell you about dedicated paraprofessionals who are worth their weight in gold, so one might ask where the problem lies. In reality, the story of paraprofessional supports has many facets. Some parents understandably request individual paraprofessional support for their child with disabilities because of their concerns or fears about how their child will be accepted, treated, supported, and instructed in general education classes. Yet parents seeking inclusive education through the assignment of an individual, full-time paraprofessional may be working at crosspurposes with themselves. Having an adult by a student’s side for all or most of the school day can actually interfere with a student’s inclusion as a participating member of the classroom community. In other situations, parents have been told that the assignment of a fulltime, individual paraprofessional is the required admission ticket for their child’s entry into the general education classroom. A school’s request for an individual paraprofessional as a condition of placement is often rooted in the concerns of classroom teachers. Even highly competent and willing teachers may experience some anxiety when they are unclear about the expectations people have of them in relation to a student with a disability placed in their class. Teachers who feel stretched thin by issues such as class size and everexpanding requirements wonder how they will find the time to meet the various needs of students with disabilities and special needs other than disability.