Job Title:                             Instructional Aide, Life Skills                           

Wage/Hour Status:            Nonexempt

Department:                       Special Education and Assigned Campus(es)

Reports To:                         Special Education Director and Campus Principal

Approved By:                     Board of Trustees               

____________________________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY: 

Assist in planning and providing direct therapy to students with physical disabilities.  Assist in the assessment of students and planning of therapeutic intervention to eliminate or reduce problems or impairments that interfere with students’ ability to derive full benefit from the educational program.

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

High school diploma or GED

Completed two (2) years of study at an institution of higher education; or

Obtained an Associate’s Degree (Preferred)

Valid Texas educational aide certificate

Some experience working with children

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of medical information and indications of physical/occupational therapy treatment
• Skill in use of tests and measurements for assessing physical function
• Ability to administer manual exercises and physical/occupational therapy treatments
• Ability to instruct students and manage their behavior
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to perform duties with awareness of all district requirements and Board of Education policies

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Instructional Support

1. Help teacher in preparing instructional materials and classroom displays.
2. Help maintain neat and orderly classroom.
3. Help with inventory, care, and maintenance of equipment.
4. Help teacher keep administrative records and prepares required reports.
5. Provide orientation and assistance to substitute teachers.

Student Management

6. Assists students with physical disabilities according to their needs, including transferring to and from wheelchairs, lifting, or positioning.
7. Assists students with physical needs and personal care including feeding, bathroom needs, and personal hygiene.
8. Helps manage behavior of students. This includes interviewing in crisis situations and restraining disruptive or dangerous student behavior as needed.
9. Assumes responsibility for learning and adapting to each student's special medical, physical, communicative, and emotional needs.
10. Works with individual students or small groups to develop motor skills and conducts instructional exercises assigned by teacher.
11. Helps supervise students throughout the school day, inside and outside the classroom. This includes lunchroom, bus, and playground duty.
12. Keeps teacher informed of special needs or problems of individual students.

Other

13. Maintain confidentiality.
14. Participate in professional development activities to improve skills related to job assignments.
15. Exercise professional judgment in absences; be punctual to work, meetings, and appointments.
16. Perform other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read and analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of administrators, staff, students, parents, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.  Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Occasional absences are understood but regular attendance is required.

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to walk and occasionally required to stand and reach with hands and arms.  Frequent standing, stooping, bending, reaching, pulling, pushing, heavy lifting, and moderate carrying are required.  May be required to lift and transfer students to and from wheelchair or assist with positioning students with physical disabilities.  Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. 

Regular districtwide travel to multiple work locations is required.  Occasionally the position requires the employee to work irregular or extended hours and to meet multiple demands from several people at the same time.  The employee will be required to interact with the public and other workers.

The employee must maintain emotional control under stress.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The noise level in the work environment varies depending on the site being visited and the activity being conducted.  The office environment is usually very quiet.