Paraprofessional Support Essay

There are a number of challenges that may arise in applying inclusive practices within a school. These challenges include Australia’s labelling approach to funding support in the education system, inadequate systems of support, and poor paraprofessional support. The challenge chosen in this case is inadequate paraprofessional support (Cologon, 2013). Paraprofessional support can be described using a number of terms, such as special support officers, teacher aides, special needs assistants, inclusion support aides, and learning support assistants, among other terms. Most funding that is allocated toward supporting inclusion in a school goes toward paraprofessional support. This is due to a common assumption that one to one support is beneficial
One of these strategies is to ensure that all the students are seated together. The students with disabilities should not be made to sit aside, or to sit next to the paraprofessional. In addition, the teacher should also take responsibility for the interaction between students, and the education of each learner. Furthermore, the teacher should avoid standing or sitting too close to the paraprofessional. Aside from this, paraprofessionals should be used for whole class support, and not just for purposes of attending to students with disabilities. Another way to improve paraprofessional support is to find out from the students the type of support that they need, and their preference regarding how such support should be implemented. Lastly, the paraprofessional should be used to increase the level of teacher engagement (Cologon,
Even though a teacher may be reluctant to embrace inclusive education, the passage of the legislation means that every educator must be familiar with the concept of inclusion. As a result, a teacher who takes part in inclusive education out of compliance with the law may find themselves get accustomed to inclusion, which helps them embrace the concept. Furthermore, in promoting an inclusive education, the legislation helps teachers gain experience when dealing with students disabilities. In addition, given that the legislation requires teachers to gain additional skills, it affords them greater opportunities for professional growth. In relation to this, given that the law obliges teachers to develop additional skills, it results in a higher quality of education for all students. Additionally, teachers can gain confidence in their work as a result of developing additional skills (Cologon,