Teaching Students w/ASD 5.1: Communication with Educational Assistants

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Write a paragraph on the role of EAs and how it relates to your current or previous assignment. This conversation might include the actual job title in your district, the clarity or lack of clarity around the role, who provides instruction to this person, how opportunities to communicate are organized, and any other issue that might be related to your context.

In my district, an EA is called an SSA (School and Student Support Assistant) and their responsibilities are, primarily, to work with the classroom teacher to support the student in participating in learning. SSAs help the student with independent work as well as help facilitate group work. They help make special learning materials (visuals etc.) to support the student with exceptional needs. The directions for work within the classroom come from the classroom teacher, but the classrooms SSAs are allocated to comes from the principal. 

The SSA will also work with SBT members to come up with special work that a student might need to partake in; for instance, an SLP might teach an SSA how to use a particular method to teach a student to use a communication book. SSAs can help with data collection and tracking progress. The SSA also might be trained by an OT to use certain equipment in the sensory room. At my school, we have a platform swing and a cocoon swing that staff needs training to use -most SSAs are trained if they are working with students who utilize this equipment. SSAs are not only responsible for supporting students with exceptionalities in class, they are there to help support any student that needs it. There will be times that a student they are to support doesn't need their assistance, so they can work with other learners. 

One thing that SSAs are not allowed to do in my district is to communicate directly to parents unless it is at an IEP meeting. There is a chart with responsibilities that breaks down SSA responsibilities VS. classroom teacher responsibilities, and upon joining the district, new teachers are provided with this information. SSAs can be great resources of information to help support students!

At my school, we have maybe 7-8 SSAs and only divisions. I have been lucky to work with an amazing one, who supports me and my students... when she doesn't get pulled from my class. We have quite a few issues with SSAs not supporting other students in class and SSAs that spend a lot of time on their phones which has caused a lot of resentment from teachers. Classroom teachers also have little time to work with SSAs because they often show up when students arrive and leave the minute the bell rings. They are only paid for 6 hours, so staying late to collaborate and communicate with teachers wouldn't be paid work. 

Here is a breakdown of responsibilities of SSAs to the classroom teacher and student:

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BCTF/CUPE. (2009). Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers and Teacher Assistants/ Education Assistants [PDF]. Retrieved from www.bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/Issues/InclusiveEd/RolesAndResponsibilitiesTeachersTAs.pdf.

BC Ministry of Education. (2016). Special education services: a manual of policies, procedures, and guidelines [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/inclusive/special_ed_policy_manual.pdf