Collaborative Classrooms: Harnessing the Power of Paraprofessionals

With FREE Professional Development

I know when you get a brand new paraprofessional in your classroom who has never worked with a student with autism, it can be just as scary for them as it is for you, a seasoned vet. They receive an overwhelming amount of information on how to function in a school building at the beginning of the school year. To add a layer, there are suddenly several students with a multitude of needs in their direct care. As teachers, we can’t prepare the other adults in our classroom for every situation, but we can try our best to give them tools.

This is where the Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules, or AFIRM comes in.

AFIRM Modules are designed to help you learn the step-by-step process of planning for, using, and monitoring an EBP with learners with autism from birth to 22 years of age. Supplemental materials and handouts are available for download.

Affirm has modules to support staff who work with all ages of students who have Autism. When you click on a module, you are then walked through videos and given tools to support a behavior you may see in the classroom.

For example, the first module is titled “Introduction to Autism” to help the learner understand characteristics of autism, how to support autistic learners, and scenarios that promote real-world application.

Before beginning a module, the facilitator asks participants to take a pre-assessment. Only the AFIRM team has access to the results, but it’s more for a self-reflection as a learner.

Then, you are given access to resources. And, let me tell you, there are SO MANY GREAT ONES!! Especially for someone who’s never worked in this environment before.

Once you complete the Introduction to ASD module, the “Where Should I Go Next?” section gives links to other trainings, such as prompting, modeling, reinforcement, and Task Analysis.

If you are struggling to put what you know into words, AFIRM gives you and your paras the tools!