Paraprofessional Support of Students With Disabilities, Article Writing Example

Paraprofessional Support of Students with Disabilities: Literature From Past Decade. Authors: Giangreco, M. F., Edelman, S.W., Boker, S. M., Doyle, M. B., (2001). Journal: Council for Exceptional Children Vol. 68 No.1 pp. 45-63

Leaders in the field of Special Education are of the belief that the utilization of paraprofessional to provide support for students with disabilities, have dramatically increased over the past 10 years, according to French & Picket(1997), with the estimated number being over 300,000 across the United States.

However, according to Giangreco, Edelman, Broer, & Doyle, (2001), despite the proliferation, the career remains one of the least studied and most significant aspects of Special Education over the past decade. Woolery, Wertz, Caldwell, Synder, &Likowski (1995),  believes that having paraprofessionals accompanying students in general education classes are considered to be essential source of support by many teachers.

Questions regarding the educability of these students were answered by Sontag & Haring (1999), who points out that these children only need custodial care, which in this case is inexpensive, but others in opposition are of the view that given the more severe cases of learning disabilities in children, special educators with skills in designing individualized curriculum and instructions are critically needed.

Giangreco et al. (2001) argues that the renewed interest in paraprofessional issues, were as a result of the Re-authorization of Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1997, and this law allow these workers and their assistants, after appropriate training, to provide special education and indirectly related services to children with learning disabilities.

A study on the trends in paraprofessionals services conducted by Giangreco et al.(2001),  they scientist used database and non-data based sources between 1991 and 2000 , and excluded reviews of newsletter articles, book chapters, grant reports, conference proceeding, and other unpublished articles.

According to Giangreco (2001), findings from were compiled from answers to questions regarding the appropriateness of the roles and duties of paraprofessional, the levels of supervisions, levels of decision makings, models of delivery services, and conditions of their working environments.

The study found that there was a short supply of special educators, adverse working conditions, and low morale among paraprofessional; who were often underpaid and under -appreciated, according to Giangreco et al. (2001).

According to French & Picket (1997), from the survey data, confusion exist about the role of paraprofessional in relations to that of teachers and special educators, while training models  according to Martella, Marchand, Martella, Miller, Young, &McFarlane (1995), Parsons & Reid (1999), were found to focus on intervention techniques like delivering instructional prompts, reinforcements or error corrections.

Students reported who were reported with multiple disabilities according to Giangreco et al. (1997) in the general education process were spending too much time in close proximity the survey results showed, and this created problems like interference with teachers ownerships and responsibilities, separations from classmates, loss of personal control and reduction in educational competence.

Despite these limitations, paraprofessional support, according to Giangreco (1999), have survived and expanded without the existence of strong conceptual foundations and efficacy data.