As students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities transition from inclusive elementary and middle schools to high schools, they deserve similar opportunities for inclusive educational experiences at this next level--namely to participate in general education classes and other activities (e.g., co-curricular) with their classmates…

Perspectives of students with disabilities are notably absent from research about special education paraprofessionals. This study begins filling that gap by interviewing 16 young adults with intellectual disabilities about their experiences attending general education classes with paraprofessional support. Findings describe the primacy and…

A primary responsibility of general and special educators is to teach students how to read. In inclusive classrooms, paraprofessionals are frequently utilized to support literacy instruction. Paraprofessionals can be employed to help improve the reading skills of students with disabilities and those who are considered at risk. This article…

A study chronicled the use of a process of planning for paraeducator supports by teams in 46 schools in 13 states during the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 school years. Findings indicated that the process assisted school teams in self-assessing their paraeducators practices, identifying priorities, and developing action plans and implementing them.…

This article summarizes and analyzes 43 pieces of professional literature pertaining to paraprofessional supports for students with disabilities published between 1991 and 2000. The findings identify topical gaps in the literature, review the major data based findings, and present implications for the field. Suggestions for future research stress…

Interviews and school visits investigated how 193 school personnel respect, appreciate, and acknowledge paraprofessionals who work in inclusive classrooms supporting students with and without disabilities. Themes included nonmonetary signs and symbols of appreciation, compensation, being entrusted with important responsibilities, noninstructional…

As more students with autism, intellectual disabilities, and other developmental disabilities are placed in general education classes, an increasingly common practice is to assign these students one-to-one paraprofessionals as a primary support mechanism. Though offered with benevolent intentions, inappropriate reliance on one-to-one…

This article discusses the increasing use of paraprofessionals in special education and addresses the following five areas: the role of paraprofessionals, the impact of the proximity of paraprofessionals on students with disabilities, the impact of paraprofessionals on teacher engagement, the importance of professional recognition, and strategies…

Observations and interviews in 16 classrooms concerning proximity of instructional assistants to students with disabilities found: (1) interference with general educator responsibility; (2) separation from classmates; (3) dependence on adults; (4) impact on peer interactions; (5) limitations on receiving competent instruction; (6) loss of personal…

Attitudes toward support service models that are shifting away from specialist-reliant toward natural support systems were studied, from the perspectives of professionals and parents (N=119) who were educational team members for students with deaf-blindness and multiple disabilities in general education settings. Analyses suggest inconsistent…

This study of 14 special education professionals from minority groups revealed their perceptions on cultural sensitivity in family interviewing. Recommendations for improving interviews include increasing knowledge about other cultures; examining cultural biases; allowing sufficient time for interviews; providing a family focus; and considering…

Interviews with 19 general education teachers of grades K-9 found that, despite teachers' initial negative reactions to placement of a child with severe disabilities in their classrooms, 17 teachers described positive transforming experiences and identified benefits to the students with disabilities, their classmates, and the teachers themselves.…