Training Needs of Special Education Paraprofessionals

A primary purpose of this investigation was to identify those tasks that special education teachers rate as important for their paraprofessionals to be able to complete. In addition, teachers were asked to rate their paraprofessionals' skills in completing tasks rated as important. The effects on ratings of program instructional model and age of students served also were examined. Only two tasks (prepare materials and help practice skills) were rated as important by every group of special education teachers. Other findings suggest that paraprofessionals need to have different competencies, depending on the type of educational setting in which they are employed.