Recursos
Todos los recursos de desarrollo profesional, organizados por las 8 áreas de habilidad de los paraprofesionales y sus subtemas.
Apoyo en la enseñanza
13 áreas de habilidad
Identificar qué es lo que realmente está bloqueando a un estudiante y ajustar su apoyo sobre la marcha.
- EsencialThe Response Cycle: Understanding and De-escalating Student Behavior (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Wisconsin DPI guide to the acting-out/response cycle: what students experience at each phase and the adult responses that help de-escalate before a student fully shuts down.
Guía · Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction · ~40 min
- EsencialDifferentiated Instruction (CEEDAR Professional Development Chapter) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
CEEDAR Center chapter on differentiated instruction — what it is, why it works, and how to adjust content, process, and product for different learners in real time.
Módulo · CEEDAR Center (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~45 min
Quick para self-gauge: one ~5-minute subtest of the CEEDAR/AIR High-Leverage Practices self-assessment — HLP 18, 'Use strategies to promote active student engagement.' The items name the observable signals you read to tell whether a student is actually with the lesson — opportunities to respond, active student responses, participation in group activities — so you can practice noticing engagement and disengagement in the moment and surface what you see to the supervising teacher. Teacher-facing tool used here as a reflection check. OSEP-funded; free, no login.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center / American Institutes for Research (U.S. Dept. of Education, OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Free state-government paraeducator module on the role, reading student needs and adjusting your approach in real time, and building an effective partnership with supervising teachers.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~15 min
Interactive simulations that let you experience dyslexia, ADHD, and dyscalculia from the student's seat — what reading, focusing, or math actually feels like when it isn't working. Builds the judgment behind reading engagement: recognizing what is blocking a student rather than reading the block as unwillingness. Free, no login; short per-simulation chunks.
Actividad · Understood.org · ~15 min
Adaptar los materiales y las tareas en tiempo real cuando no hay modificaciones preparadas disponibles.
Plain-language guide distinguishing accommodations from modifications, with concrete examples for deciding how to adapt a task for a specific learner.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~30 min
PROGRESS Center resource defining the categories of accommodations with implementation examples and guidance on judging whether they are working.
Guía · PROGRESS Center (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~40 min
Self-paced e-learning program built specifically for paraeducators (with the PAR²A Center and CEEDAR), organized around the high-leverage practices in collaboration, assessment, instruction, and behavior — interactive learning activities you work through phase by phase, not a video reel. The most exact-audience match available. Free to view after open self-registration; link-only. Multi-phase; pick sections as needed.
Módulo · Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), with the PAR²A Center & CEEDAR · ~45 min
Five-minute state-agency demonstration video of on-the-spot differentiation — one math lesson adapted live for learners at different levels, shown rather than described. Watch how the educator adjusts the task while keeping everyone in the same lesson.
Video · Texas SPED Support / Texas Education Agency · ~5 min
Quick para self-gauge: one ~5-minute subtest of the CEEDAR/AIR High-Leverage Practices self-assessment — HLP 13, 'Make adaptations to tasks and materials.' It lists the concrete on-the-spot moves — simplifying directions, adding a visual for each step, breaking a task into smaller steps, highlighting key information, using a graphic organizer or manipulatives — so you can recognize which small adjustment fits a learner in the moment and apply it under the supervising teacher's plan, not redesign the assignment yourself. Teacher-facing tool used here as a reflection check. OSEP-funded; free, no login.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center / American Institutes for Research (U.S. Dept. of Education, OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
CEEDAR Center chapter on in-the-moment differentiation across content, process, and product — applied to on-the-spot instructional decisions.
Módulo · CEEDAR Center (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~45 min
Mantener participando al mismo tiempo a estudiantes de distintos niveles sin descuidar a ninguno.
Center on PBIS guide to evidence-based strategies for managing diverse learner needs at once — engagement, differentiated response, and proactive classroom practices.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~45 min
Quick para self-gauge: one ~5-minute subtest of the CEEDAR/AIR High-Leverage Practices self-assessment — HLP 17, 'Use flexible grouping.' The items map directly onto managing several learners at once — varying group size and type, monitoring the interactions during group work, and keeping each student accountable for their part — so you can support small groups, stations, and transitions without losing track of anyone, following the supervising teacher's grouping plan. Teacher-facing tool used here as a reflection check. OSEP-funded; free, no login.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center / American Institutes for Research (U.S. Dept. of Education, OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Real-classroom demonstration video (5 min) of running simultaneous differentiated stations — small groups working at different levels, managing transitions, and keeping every group engaged without losing track of anyone.
Video · Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation) · ~6 min
Free state-government module on the escalation cycle and de-escalation across three simultaneous behavior types — classroom disruptions, physical aggression, and peer conflicts — applicable to managing multiple learners with diverse behavioral needs at once.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~12 min
Center on PBIS guide to classroom behavior management across diverse learner needs — evidence-based practices for small groups, transitions, and proactive differentiated response during instruction.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
Recopilar observaciones específicas y útiles, y comunicárselas al maestro de una forma que le sirva.
One-page tip sheet on what makes observation data usable by the team: objective measures (behavior observation checklists, progress-monitoring probes) over anecdotes, measuring frequently on a consistent, named schedule, and tying what you record to the goal's own performance criteria. It names data collection as a trained role and draws the line between objective data and subjective impressions — the standard the notes you gather and hand off are held to. About 5 minutes; public domain (OSEP/AIR).
Guía · PROGRESS Center at American Institutes for Research (U.S. Dept. of Education, OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
NCII module on selecting a target behavior, writing an operational definition, choosing a measurement system (frequency, interval recording), and graphing the data.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~25 min
NCII module on what behavior is, how to define it observably, and the environmental factors that influence it — the foundation for direct observation and data collection.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~30 min
- EsencialData Collection & Analysis Online Courses (PROGRESS Center / NCII) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Free self-paced interactive courses on collecting and analyzing student data — defining a target behavior, choosing a measurement method, graphing, and using the data to inform decisions. Directly mirrors the observation-and-reporting work paras support. Certificate of completion; free account required.
Actividad · PROGRESS Center / National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~30 min
NCII tutorial on collecting and graphing student progress data with their free tool — a hands-on look at the data-collection workflow paras support.
Video · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~12 min
Center on PBIS guide on behavioral observation methods — frequency counts, ABC recording, and using daily classroom data to communicate student needs to the team. Adds the observation-and-handoff layer alongside the existing NCII progress-monitoring modules.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~30 min
NCII introductory module on progress monitoring — what to track, how to set goals, collect data, and use the results to communicate student progress to the team.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~35 min
Crear transiciones, horarios y rutinas de enseñanza predecibles que sirvan de apoyo a los estudiantes que necesitan constancia para poder aprender.
Center on PBIS guide to explicitly identifying, defining, and teaching predictable classroom routines and expectations — the structure students who need consistency rely on to access learning. Includes a fillable matrix template.
Guía · Center on PBIS (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
PBIS webinar on the practices that create positive, predictable, safe learning environments — how consistent routines, clear expectations, and structured transitions support students who rely on predictability.
Video · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education, OSEP-funded) · ~45 min
- EsencialAntecedent and Instructional Strategies (NCII Behavior Course) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Interactive module on arranging the environment and planning predictable routines and active-engagement structures to prevent problem behavior before it starts. The routines/antecedents section maps directly to a para's role in keeping the day predictable under the teacher's plan.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) — AIR / U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~45 min
One-page checklist of the concrete moves that make a classroom predictable — posting expectations, rules, and procedures where students can see them; explicitly teaching and re-teaching them; limiting unstructured time; and laying out the room and high-traffic areas so transitions go smoothly. Pull up the 'HLP 7' section on its own (about 5 minutes). Written for teachers, so use it to recognize these structures and see how you can help keep the day predictable and reinforce the posted routines across settings under the supervising teacher's plan — not to set the rules yourself.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Planificar la enseñanza para que las habilidades se transfieran a distintas personas, entornos y materiales, y verificar que las habilidades ya aprendidas se mantengan con el tiempo, no solo en el momento.
- EsencialAntecedent and Instructional Strategies (NCII Behavior Course) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Interactive training module on classroom antecedent and instructional strategies — including planning routines, active engagement, and arranging instruction so newly taught skills hold up and transfer (generalization and maintenance). Built for educators supporting students with intensive needs; the para's lane is implementing these under the supervising teacher's plan.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) — AIR / U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~45 min
One-page checklist of the concrete techniques that help a newly taught skill hold up over time and transfer to new settings — practicing across settings and people, using similar materials, spacing practice out, gradually thinning rewards, and checking that the skill sticks weeks later. Pull up the 'HLP 21' section on its own (about 5 minutes). Written for teachers, so use it to recognize these moves and see how you can reinforce a taught skill across the day under the supervising teacher's plan — not to design the program yourself.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Library of concise, evidence-based instructional-strategy briefs (each with purpose, key terms, and materials) supporting skill acquisition, generalization across settings/people/materials, and maintenance over time. Use as quick reference for strategies a teacher may ask you to help deliver consistently.
Guía · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) — AIR / U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~15 min
Manejar la tecnología de acceso e instructiva que un estudiante usa para participar —dispositivos de tecnología de asistencia, apoyos de baja tecnología como los horarios visuales y las herramientas de recolección de datos del distrito— bajo la dirección del equipo, y señalar cuando un apoyo no funciona. Se distingue del trabajo con dispositivos de comunicación (AAC) de Apoyo con dispositivos de AAC.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Dar la pista más pequeña que aún deje el trabajo en manos del estudiante —señalar, y solo si hace falta, dar el primer sonido— y esperar en silencio en lugar de simplemente dar la respuesta.
University autism-center training video made for paraprofessionals on the prompting hierarchy and prompt fading — choosing the smallest prompt, waiting, and pulling support back as the student takes over. On the trainings page, scroll to the 'Prompting' video (~20 min); free, no login.
Video · Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA), Indiana University · ~21 min
A one-minute classroom demonstration of the coached move itself — using the least restrictive prompt possible so it can be faded quickly, shown in an instructional context. Pairs with the IRCA prompting training: IRCA teaches the hierarchy, this clip shows it in a classroom in 60 seconds.
Video · Texas SPED Support / Texas Education Agency · ~1 min
A plain one-page explainer of the exact move this scenario calls for: first give the student a chance to respond on their own, then add only the smallest prompt needed — a gesture or point first, a fuller cue only if that isn't enough — and stop the moment the student succeeds. It names the trap directly: prompts are 'not used to fill in quiet space while a child is processing,' which is what saying the word does. Use it to recognize how little help to give, and to wait. Quick read.
Artículo · Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project, University of Nevada, Reno (OSEP-funded deaf-blind project) · ~5 min
The team tool behind 'fade your help on purpose.' It maps a student's current prompt level and frequency, then plans how adult support is dialed back to build independence — including a Paraprofessional's Responsibilities chart. Use it to recognize where your prompting sits now (mostly independent vs. needs a direct model) and to surface the plan with the teacher or case manager so fading is intentional, not accidental. The grid and prompt-level scale on pages 2-3 are the load-bearing parts.
Guía · PaTTAN (Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network, PA Bureau of Special Education) · ~12 min
The protocol builds the three layers of the prompt-and-fade skill: choosing the smallest prompt that still leaves the work with the student, waiting long enough through the silence for the student to try, and recognizing when a pattern of rescue has already created prompt dependency. In Round 1 (Prompt Selection Card, ~12 min), participants receive a scenario in which a student decoding a long word pauses and looks up. Working from a blank four-level grid, they map the prompt hierarchy for that exact moment — a gesture toward the word, a point to the first chunk, a mouthed first sound, a spoken first chunk — writing for each level what they physically do, what if anything they say, and the signal that would tell them the student is not getting there and it is time to move to the next level. Every entry must use observer verbs ('point to the first three letters' rather than 'help her with the beginning'), and the card must show a waiting step at every level before escalating. Round 2 (Wait-Time Log, ~12 min) targets the hardest move in the skill: not filling the silence. Participants read five short vignettes in which a student pauses during a reading task — pauses ranging from three to ten seconds in the scenario — and for each write: how long they would actually wait before giving any cue, what they would do with their body during the wait (look at the page, stay still, avoid eye contact that signals rescue), and the exact moment they would speak. Partners compare logs and identify where the impulse to rescue appears earliest; the most common finding is that paras speak before the student has had a full five seconds, which is the minimum most students need to initiate a self-correction attempt. Round 3 (Dependency Diagnostic, ~11 min) addresses the downstream problem: a student who has learned to look up and wait because rescue has been reliable. Participants read four vignettes of student behavior during reading tasks and distinguish prompt dependency (the student pauses, makes eye contact, and waits before the word is even hard) from genuine need (the student tries, makes an error, and looks up only after an attempt). For each vignette they write the observable signal, the appropriate next move, and how the response would differ between the two cases. The dominant failure mode across all three rounds is rescuing — saying the word — because it feels like helping, resolves the student's visible frustration immediately, and produces no visible cost until the student stops trying before you even get to the prompt.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
A free self-paced module on the whole point of this scenario: gradually removing your support so the student becomes independent. The most on-point units are Unit 2 (Appropriate Prompting), Unit 4 (Prompting and Modeling), and Unit 5 (Proximity) — they walk through giving the least intrusive level of help and then stepping back so the student does the work. Use it to build the habit of prompting just enough and then fading, instead of stepping in.
Módulo · Ohio Partnership for Excellence in Paraprofessional Preparation (OPEPP), Ohio Department of Education and Workforce-funded (free; create a login to enroll and track progress) · ~45 min
Apoyar a estudiantes con dislexia
SPED: LeveBrindar apoyo de lectura (decodificación) en tiempo real que mantenga al estudiante participando con dignidad, sin llamar la atención sobre lo que le cuesta.
Plain-language explainer on what dyslexia is and is not — a word-level reading/spelling disability rooted in phonological processing, with intact intelligence — and what effective, structured-literacy support looks like. Grounds the para's role: support the teacher's intervention, watch for the profile, surface concerns; the team identifies and decides.
Guía · National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL) — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~10 min
NCIL guide on intensifying reading instruction when progress stalls — the five big ideas of reading, systematic and explicit delivery, data-driven adjustment, and pre-teaching — written for the educator delivering the support, which is exactly the para's seat in an intervention.
Guía · National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL) — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~15 min
- EsencialFoundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in K–3 (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
REL Midwest video on evidence-based practices for teaching decoding to early readers — phonemic awareness, letter-sound links, decoding multisyllabic words, and using data to decide when to intensify support.
Video · REL Midwest / Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
Built for instructional leaders, but its 20 criteria spell out exactly what systematic, explicit, data-driven phonics instruction looks like — a concrete reference for the decoding and phonemic-awareness practice you reinforce with students who struggle to read, so your support mirrors the method the teacher is using.
Actividad · IES / What Works Clearinghouse · ~20 min
Free online modules on reading interventions for older students (grades 4–9) who still struggle to decode — multisyllabic-word strategies, fluency building, and comprehension routines. Helps you understand the why behind the structured reading practice you run with secondary students.
Módulo · REL Southwest / IES (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~120 min
Short interactive simulation: you get 60 seconds to read a passage with letters transposed and scrambled the way they can be for a student with dyslexia, then answer comprehension questions on what you managed to decode. Builds the judgment behind real-time decoding support — recognizing effortful decoding as a processing load, not unwillingness. Free, no login.
Actividad · University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Paul Bohman) · ~5 min
Short federal video on what dyslexia is and what NICHD-funded research shows about how the brain reads and how struggling readers, including those with dyslexia, are best taught (explicit, systematic, structured literacy). A text alternative/transcript is published alongside it for accessibility.
Video · Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) / NIH · ~6 min
CPIR overview of reading disabilities under IDEA — what dyslexia and related difficulties mean for instruction, how schools must respond, and framing paras can use to understand a student's reading IEP goals. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~12 min
Free self-paced course with three graded quizzes, reflective activities, and a completion badge — a deeper follow-on to the quick decoding simulation, covering what dyslexia is and the everyday supports that keep a student participating with dignity. Open self-registration; anyone can enroll. (Dyslexia Scotland via Open University OpenLearn Create; CC BY-NC-SA — link-only, never excerpt.)
Módulo · Dyslexia Scotland / Open University (OpenLearn Create) · ~180 min
Apoyo con dispositivos de AAC
SPED: LeveUsar el sistema de comunicación aumentativa y alternativa (AAC) que el terapeuta del habla (SLP) y el equipo eligieron (dispositivos que generan voz, sistema de intercambio de imágenes [PECS] o tableros de vocabulario básico), cubriendo en el momento las brechas de vocabulario y señalando al SLP las actualizaciones necesarias. Nunca use la comunicación facilitada (FC); no tiene respaldo científico y la asociación de profesionales del habla y el lenguaje (ASHA) se opone activamente a ella.
CPIR overview of communication supports and assistive technology in the IEP, including AAC, and the team's role in implementing them. NOTE: orientation-level, not a device-specific modeling guide — a cleared para-facing AAC modeling resource is a documented gap; coordinate with your SLP for device specifics.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
- EsencialAided Language Input Module (Project Core, self-paced interactive) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Free self-paced interactive module on aided language input — modeling on a student's AAC system to show what the symbols can do during everyday talk. Walks through the basic components of modeling with worked examples and a short reflection activity; an optional post-test earns a certificate. Stays in the para's lane: you model the system and presume competence, while the SLP selects, programs, and modifies it.
Módulo · Project Core — Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill (OSEP-funded; CC BY-SA 4.0) · ~35 min
Short explainer on the aided language stimulation technique — modeling on a student's AAC system as you talk. Note: produced by AssistiveWare, a commercial AAC vendor; linked for the free technique overview, not as a product endorsement.
Video · AssistiveWare (commercial AAC vendor) · ~5 min
Playlist of short demonstration clips showing communication partners modeling language on a student's AAC device (aided language input) across everyday activities — the in-the-moment modeling a para is asked to provide. Free public YouTube playlist; link-only, identification-not-endorsement.
Video · Brothers of Charity Services Ireland — Regional Autism Support Service · ~10 min
Palm Beach County School District compilation of teachers modeling aided language stimulation on universal core communication boards — shows AAC modeling in action. Primarily elementary examples.
Video · Palm Beach County School District · ~15 min
Authoritative overview of AAC systems, modeling/aided language input, and the team roles around an AAC user. Reinforces the para's implementation lane: model the system, presume competence, and follow the SLP's plan — the clinician selects, programs, and modifies the system.
Guía · American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) · ~25 min
Self-paced webshop on the core-vocabulary approach to AAC — the small set of high-frequency words that unlocks the most communication — and how to model and support it for a student who doesn't use speech. Directly on the para's job of implementing the SLP's AAC plan in the moment. Free account; open to out-of-state users; link-only.
Módulo · Virginia Department of Education — TTAC Online · ~30 min
The protocol builds the two in-role moves at the center of AAC device support — bridging a vocabulary gap in the moment with the closest words the device already has, and documenting the gap in writing so the SLP can add the missing vocabulary before the unit moves on — plus a third round that draws the FC boundary explicitly. In Round 1 (Gap-Bridge Map, ~12 min), participants receive a scenario in which a student's device lacks vocabulary for the current lesson unit, then complete a three-column map for each missing word: the target vocabulary item, the closest core word the device already has that spans the gap, and the exact modeling phrase they'd say aloud while pointing to the core symbol — treating imperfect access as better than sitting out, consistent with the principle in Supports for Students Who Use AAC (CPIR) that the para's role is to keep the student communicating with what's available, not wait until the device is perfect. Every modeling phrase uses observer language ('points to the 'hot' symbol while saying magma is very hot') and stops short of programming or editing the device, which is the SLP's clinical role per both the CPIR guide and Assistive Technology and AAC for Students with Autism (CDC). Round 2 (SLP Flag Note, ~12 min) shifts to the documentation side: participants draft the written note they'd bring to the SLP and teacher, naming the exact missing words, what core vocabulary bridged the gap, whether the student's device use changed during the session, and a specific request to add the vocabulary before the next unit. Partners review each other's notes for specificity (exact words named, not 'some vocabulary'), written form (not a verbal hallway mention), and scope language (no 'I added them to the device myself'). Round 3 (FC Boundary Map, ~11 min) addresses the hardest scenario in this skill: a coworker suggesting Facilitated Communication. Participants receive three AAC-support vignettes, one involving an FC suggestion, and write for each: the evidence-based alternative, the name of the SME to route the decision to (the SLP), and the one sentence that redirects clearly without escalating — because FC is not evidence-based and is actively opposed by ASHA, so the redirect is both a scope and a safety call. The load-bearing constraint across all three rounds — reflected in the skill description and the Assistive Technology Supports in the IEP guide (CPIR) — is that vocabulary selection, device programming, and communication-system decisions belong to the SLP and team; the para implements what's authorized, models with what's there, and flags what's missing in writing.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Free self-paced modules on augmentative and alternative communication — how AAC systems work, modeling language on a device, and supporting a student who communicates without speech — with a certificate on completion. Grounds the para's role of implementing the SLP's AAC plan in daily interaction. Free registration; open to anyone; link-only.
Módulo · Penn State AAC Learning Center (NIDILRR-funded) · ~40 min
Self-paced webshop on selecting and implementing AAC across the communication continuum — how the pieces of a student's system fit together and where your in-the-moment modeling fits in. Free account; open to out-of-state users; link-only.
Módulo · Virginia Department of Education — TTAC Online · ~45 min
Pasar del apoyo físico total a una ayuda de menor a mayor, para que sea el estudiante quien aprenda, y no el asistente educativo (para) quien haga el trabajo.
NCII strategy library for addressing challenging behavior — antecedent modification, self-management, and reinforcement strategies with implementation steps and sample scripts.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~45 min
One-minute state-agency classroom demonstration clip of prompting done right — using the least restrictive prompt possible so it can be faded quickly. The demonstrable core of the prompting hierarchy, shown rather than described; watch it before a shift.
Video · Texas SPED Support / Texas Education Agency · ~1 min
Short NDSIP explainer that walks the prompting hierarchy itself — begin with the smallest hint, move up only as the student needs more help, then fade back down — so prompting builds independence instead of prompt-dependence. OSEP-funded deaf-blind project (Univ. of Nevada, Reno); the principle transfers across settings. Recognize and apply the levels under the supervising teacher's or BCBA's plan.
Artículo · Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project, University of Nevada, Reno (OSEP-funded deaf-blind project) · ~5 min
NCII training course on intensifying behavioral interventions for persistent challenging behavior — function-based thinking and systematically adapting supports.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~12 min
University autism-center training video made for paraprofessionals on the prompting hierarchy and prompt fading — the full para-specific treatment of this skill. On the trainings page, scroll to the 'Prompting' video (~20 min); free, no login.
Video · Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA), Indiana University · ~21 min
In Round 1 (Prompt Level Map, ~12 min), participants receive the money-counting vignette and build a four-level card — full physical / partial physical / verbal / independent — specifying what the student is doing and what the para's exact action is at each level, using the Behavior Strategies to Support Intensifying Interventions framework from NCII, which establishes that systematic fading requires knowing what each prompt level looks like in practice before you can move between them; the map makes visible that hand-over-hand every time means the para is performing the skill rather than the student, directly countering the failure mode of maintaining full prompting on the assumption that repetition alone will produce independence. In Round 2 (Fading Decision Log, ~12 min), participants write four trial log entries — what level they started at, what the student did, what level they moved to next, and the data recorded — and embed a clear decision rule in their log header: the criteria (e.g., two consecutive successes at current level) that trigger moving down one prompt level; the log counters both the indefinite-hand-over-hand failure mode and the abrupt-removal failure mode by making systematic, incremental fading concrete and documentable under the supervising teacher's or BCBA's plan. In Round 3 (Prompt Trap Diagnostic, ~11 min), participants receive two described scenarios — one student who has remained at full physical prompting for six weeks with no fading plan, one student whose support was removed entirely in a single session — and write a prompt-trap diagnosis for each: what the failure mode is, what the observable evidence is, and what the first corrective step would be within the para's role; pairs compare diagnoses and annotate whether the corrective step names who the para surfaces the concern to (supervising teacher or BCBA) rather than unilaterally changing the plan, reinforcing that data collection and escalation are the para's contribution to fading, not independent plan redesign.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Distinguir el silencio normal de la adquisición del idioma de las preocupaciones de conducta o de desarrollo, y compartir ese contexto con el equipo antes de cualquier referencia (referral).
- EsencialNewcomer Toolkit, Ch. 4: High-Quality Instruction for Newcomers (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
NCELA/OELA guide covering the second-language-acquisition process — including the silent/pre-production stage — and how to calibrate scaffolding as newcomer ELLs move through each acquisition stage.
Guía · National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
- EsencialEnglish Learner Toolkit, Ch. 6: English Learners with Disabilities (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
U.S. Dept. of Education guidance on distinguishing language-acquisition behaviors from indicators of a learning disability — over- and under-referral risks, and how limited English proficiency must factor into evaluations.
Guía · National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
REL Northwest video illustrating four evidence-based activities that help English learners at all proficiency levels build language while learning grade-level content — useful for calibrating support across the silent period and early production stages.
Video · REL Northwest / Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
ED.gov/NCELA five-chapter toolkit for staff supporting newcomer and immigrant English learners — welcoming environments, instructional supports, and stages of language acquisition.
Guía · U.S. Department of Education (NCELA) · ~45 min
One-page checklist for building a picture of a student from several sources over time — informal observations, the student's own input, and what the family shares about home language and experiences — instead of one snapshot. Pull up the 'HLP 4' section on its own (about 5 minutes). Use it to recognize when a newcomer's quiet is a normal stage of language acquisition, and to gather and surface that context for the team before anyone considers a referral. The para's lane here is noticing and reporting, not diagnosing.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Federal video introducing how to welcome and engage newcomer English learners — building comprehension and a low-anxiety environment in the early (often silent) stage, honoring home language, and the school's responsibilities. Pairs with the para's role: lower the affective filter, give comprehensible input, never force production.
Video · Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) — U.S. Dept. of Education · ~30 min
Cubrir las brechas de vocabulario y las barreras del idioma usando imágenes, gestos, apoyos bilingües y andamiajes, quitando el obstáculo del idioma sin quitar el desafío cognitivo.
OELA practice brief on evidence-based practices for ELLs, including building content knowledge and language together through comprehensible input, visuals, scaffolds, and bilingual supports — without reducing cognitive challenge.
Guía · Office of English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
Evidence-based vocabulary guidance from the OELA practices brief: pre-teaching key vocabulary, distinguishing general-academic from domain-specific vocabulary, and bridging language gaps without removing cognitive demand.
Guía · Office of English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~18 min
REL Southwest video on four research-based vocabulary practices for newcomer ELLs — pre-teaching key terms, using visuals and gestures, building on cognates, and making academic language comprehensible without reducing cognitive demand.
Video · REL Southwest / Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~18 min
- EsencialEnglish Learner Toolkit: Tools and Resources for Supporting ELs (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
U.S. Dept. of Education (OELA) toolkit chapters on English language proficiency levels and what students can do at each stage — helps paras calibrate the right level of language scaffolding for each student. Public-access federal resource.
Guía · National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
One-page checklist of the concrete scaffolds that make grade-level content comprehensible without lowering the demand — sentence stems, graphic organizers, visuals, easiest-to-hardest sequencing, and giving only as much support as the student needs before fading it. Pull up the 'HLP 15' section on its own (about 5 minutes). Written for teachers, so use it to recognize these supports and to provide and adjust them for a multilingual learner under the supervising teacher's plan — not to redesign the lesson.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Apoyo conductual y socioemocional
8 áreas de habilidad
Reconocer cuándo una estrategia del plan de conducta está causando un daño grave y apartarse de ella por seguridad: detener la estrategia, cambiar a lo que ayude al estudiante a calmarse, avisar al equipo de inmediato y documentar por escrito el cambio antes de que termine el día. Esto es una excepción de emergencia, no una práctica habitual. El plan de conducta (BIP) forma parte del plan educativo individualizado (IEP) del estudiante, un documento de cumplimiento legal obligatorio, y las desviaciones repetidas requieren la aprobación del equipo, no el criterio de una sola persona.
Center on PBIS guidance on how FBAs and behavior intervention plans (BIPs) work across the support continuum — implementing a plan, monitoring fidelity, and revisiting it.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~55 min
A quick-reference deck of de-escalation moves mapped to the behavior cycle. For a behavioral emergency the load-bearing part is the crisis stage: keep the area safe, use minimal words and demands, give the student space, and follow your district-approved crisis protocol to call the trained crisis team — then take part in the staff debrief afterward. As a para, your job is to recognize the escalation, keep everyone safe, summon the trained lead, and report what happened; stopping or changing a behavior-plan strategy is a team decision (BCBA / crisis-trained lead), and any deviation should be documented and brought back to the team.
Guía · Kentucky Department of Education (content created by the Center on PBIS, OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~6 min
University autism-center training videos made for paraprofessionals on recognizing the build-up to a meltdown and the adult responses that help a student settle. On the trainings page, watch the 'Meltdowns' and 'Paraprofessional Role with Behavior' videos (~12 min each); free, no login. Autism-scoped, but the escalation-cycle content generalizes.
Video · Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA), Indiana University · ~12 min
Plain-language overview of BIP implementation, fidelity, and when to ask the team to revisit the plan.
Guía · Parent Center Hub (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~25 min
Three-round, 35-minute protocol for paras implementing student behavior plans. Round 1 — Safety Signal Mapping (12 min): given six vignettes in which a BIP cool-down strategy is underway, participants classify each as plan working / escalating-pivot-needed / unclear, and for each pivot-needed scenario identify the specific signal — voice pitch, physical posturing, thrown objects — that requires a safety departure, drawing on the "Function-Based Support Throughout the Continuum" guide (Center on PBIS) to frame fidelity as a floor rather than a ceiling when a plan is actively escalating the student — directly countering the failure mode of staying with the written plan regardless of the student's state. Round 2 — Pivot Script Workshop (12 min): for three scenarios in which a BIP strategy is causing escalation, participants draft the three-part para response — the verbal pivot to what actually settles this student, the notification to the supervising teacher within five minutes, and the signal that would cause them to call the trained crisis team — building fluency in the sequence of safety pivot then immediate team notification rather than the failure mode of stopping and passively waiting for the teacher to arrive. Round 3 — Same-Day Deviation Report (11 min): participants draft a four-field written deviation report for one of the Round 2 scenarios (BIP strategy called for, signal that indicated harm, what the para did instead, who was notified and when) and review a partner's report against the same four-field checklist — building the documentation habit that makes safety departures visible to the team and supportable for BIP revision.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Calmar a un estudiante alterado sin público, usando técnicas de redirección discretas.
- EsencialStrategies for De-escalating Student Behavior in the Classroom (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Center on PBIS practice brief with practical, research-based de-escalation strategies — advance planning that reduces reliance on reactive responses, and what to do as a student's behavior escalates through a transition or trigger.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
Wisconsin DPI resource on de-escalation within the acting-out cycle: calm voice, reduced demands, positioning, and offering a way out — what helps versus what escalates.
Guía · Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction · ~25 min
Center on PBIS evidence-based guide to the acting-out cycle and intervening early — before transitions become crises — with positive, proactive classroom strategies.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~40 min
A one-page map of the behavior cycle with low-key moves for the agitation stage — brief, neutral, privately delivered redirection; offer two or three choices; provide calm proximity; cue a strategy the student already knows — so you can settle a student during a transition without drawing an audience. Note: written for early-childhood staff; the redirection moves transfer to K-12. The fuller plan stays with the supervising teacher / BCBA.
Guía · Connecticut State Department of Education & Office of Early Childhood · ~5 min
Free state-government module on the escalation cycle, de-escalation strategies for classroom disruptions and physical aggression, and supporting students through difficult transitions without escalating.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~12 min
Three-round protocol for the skill of calming a disruptive student during transitions using low-profile redirection. Round 1 (11 min): Using the Center on PBIS guide "Supporting and Responding to Students' Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Needs" and the PBIS practice brief "Strategies for De-escalating Student Behavior in the Classroom," participants map a transition-disruption scenario onto the acting-out cycle — labeling each stage (calm through recovery), marking the agitation-stage window where low-profile redirection is still possible, and annotating one observable student cue per stage. Written artifact: a cycle map card. Round 2 (12 min): Participants receive two scripted para responses at the agitation stage — one that raises the voice and repeats the rules in front of the audience (the value-1 failure mode: public escalation) and one that pulls the student aside firmly and demands rule-recitation (the value-2 failure mode: face-loss without a way back) — and, drawing on the Wisconsin DPI resource "Prevention and De-escalation of Intense Behavior Responses: What Adults Can Do," annotate each move as escalates or calms and identify which moves preserve or destroy the student's ability to save face. Written artifact: an annotated move comparison card with each move labeled and a one-phrase reason. Round 3 (12 min): Each participant writes a personal 2–4 sentence de-escalation script incorporating a calm approach, a voice-drop, and a face-saving offer ("a way back that does not feel like losing"), then commits in writing to one audience-amplifier move they will actively avoid; scripts are shared and compared in pairs. Written artifact: a personal script card.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Michigan MTSS TA Center webinar on the acting-out cycle and de-escalation — including how to read and respond to escalation around transitions. Long-form; watch in segments.
Video · MiMTSS Technical Assistance Center (Michigan Dept. of Education) · ~60 min
Usar su relación con el estudiante para detectar pronto cambios importantes en su ánimo o conducta. Nota: en estudiantes que aprenden inglés (ELL), un silencio prolongado puede ser un período de silencio normal de la adquisición del idioma, y no aislamiento; revise el contexto del idioma antes de escalar la situación.
Short REL West video with trauma/resilience experts on why trauma-informed practice matters and how distress shows up in students — useful for recognizing behavioral changes that signal something deeper.
Video · REL West / Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~7 min
Center on PBIS practice brief on why student-staff relationships matter and concrete ways to strengthen them — the foundation for noticing changes before problems escalate.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~35 min
A short overview of the common childhood mental-health conditions (anxiety, depression, behavior/conduct disorders, OCD, PTSD) and the kinds of mood and behavior changes that — when they are persistent and start to interfere with school or play — are worth noticing. Helps you put words to a meaningful shift in a student you know well so you can surface it to the teacher or counselor; recognize and report, not diagnose. (For an English learner, a long quiet stretch may be a normal language silent period rather than withdrawal — check the language context first.)
Artículo · CDC · ~5 min
A structured Notice-Observe-Talk-Engage protocol for detecting meaningful shifts in a student early and escalating appropriately — with a free downloadable educator packet and conversation starters for raising what you see with the team and family.
Guía · Understood.org · ~10 min
NCTSN hub for school personnel on recognizing signs of trauma exposure or emotional distress and responding by involving the right team members without overstepping the para role.
Guía · National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) · ~12 min
Free state-government paraeducator module on developmental stages, adverse childhood experiences, and how they affect student behavior and stress response — the foundation for recognizing when a student's behavioral changes signal distress rather than defiance.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~20 min
Self-paced interactive modules (click-through with embedded activities and reflection prompts) on how trauma and chronic stress show up in behavior, and the everyday adult responses that help — pitched at all school staff, not clinicians. Helps you read a shift in a student's mood or behavior as a possible stress response rather than defiance. Free, no login. (WI DPI; link-only — linking is expressly welcomed.)
Módulo · Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction · ~20 min
Free NCTSN/SAMHSA 5-hour interactive course that places you in the role of a provider responding in a post-disaster scene. The disaster framing is broader than a classroom, but the core skill it drills — recognizing distress in others and choosing a calm, supportive response — transfers directly. Scenario activities, video demos, expert tips. Free account required at learn.nctsn.org.
Actividad · National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN / SAMHSA / U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) · ~300 min
Saber cuándo un comentario casual de un estudiante exige reportarlo de inmediato y cómo hacerlo correctamente.
- EsencialWhat Is Child Abuse and Neglect? Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Federal factsheet on the legal definitions and types of maltreatment and the warning signs to recognize (including trafficking) — written for those responsible for identifying and reporting. The recognition half of this skill; beh4-r1 covers the statutes and reporting duties.
Artículo · Child Welfare Information Gateway (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) · ~20 min
Washington's official mandated-reporter training — who is legally required to report under RCW 26.44, what triggers a report, and how to make one — as a free interactive eLearning module embedded directly on the page (no account). A Spanish version is linked on the same page. Legal thresholds and procedures vary by state; this is the Washington course.
Módulo · The Alliance for Professional Development, Training and Caregiver Excellence (UW / WA DCYF) · ~30 min
- EsencialMandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect (State Statutes) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Federal HHS State Statutes publication on who must report, standards for reporting, privileged communications, and confidentiality — with the per-state statute breakdown behind your state's exact requirements.
Guía · Child Welfare Information Gateway (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services) · ~40 min
A short federal page on what to do once you have a welfare concern: report it right away to your state or local child-protection reporting number. Childhelp (1-800-4-A-CHILD) is a national guidance line — it can talk you through it and point you to your state's number, but calling Childhelp is not the report and does not meet the law on its own. In a school, an offhand student comment that raises a concern goes to your supervising teacher / the building's designated reporter immediately — and, because you are a mandated reporter, make sure the report to the state actually gets made (if your district says to tell an administrator first, do both). You don't investigate or question the student. Public domain.
Guía · Child Welfare Information Gateway (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) · ~5 min
In Round 1 (Concern Threshold Card, ~12 min), participants read six to eight short student-comment vignettes ranging from ambiguous to explicit and produce a written classification card labeling each as "report now," "report if this becomes a pattern," or "not a welfare concern" — noting for reportable items which indicator category applies (physical, emotional, behavioral pattern, or direct disclosure) using the indicator framework from the Child Welfare Information Gateway's "Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect" and "What Is Child Abuse and Neglect? Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms," countering the failure mode of minimizing an ambiguous comment because it might be nothing (value 1: respond warmly in the moment but do not make it a bigger deal). In Round 2 (Two-Script Workshop, ~12 min), participants draft two short written scripts side by side: first, the exact words a para says to the student during the moment — warm, non-prying, with no promise of confidentiality and no probing follow-up questions — and second, the verbatim words the para says to the supervising teacher immediately after, quoting what was heard without interpretation or investigation, drawing on the Child Welfare Information Gateway's guidance on what to say to a student and what to tell the designated reporter, countering the failure mode of staying warm by positioning oneself as the student's confidant (value 2: let them know you are there if they want to talk). In Round 3 (Responsibility Chain Map, ~11 min), participants draw a written responsibility chain showing the para's role (observe, stay with the student, report verbatim immediately), the supervising teacher or building designated reporter's role (assess, file the mandated report), and the child protective services role (investigate) — then write one sentence explaining why each boundary exists and why the two failure-mode paths, though they feel caring, structurally fail the student by delaying or blocking the mandatory report pathway that "Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect" identifies as the first and non-negotiable protective step.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Aplicar los principios del refuerzo (refuerzo funcional, conductas de reemplazo, reducción gradual del programa de refuerzo) para construir nuevas conductas en lugar de solo suprimir las no deseadas.
IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide. Recommendation 3 — teach and reinforce new skills to increase appropriate behavior — is the core of reinforcement-based practice: building replacement behaviors rather than only suppressing unwanted ones. Evidence-rated recommendations.
Guía · Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~45 min
A 5-minute clinical-authority read on reinforcement done right: define the specific positive behavior first (stated as a do, not a don't), deliver the reinforcer immediately and make it meaningful, and use token/point systems matched to age. Apply reinforcement under the supervising teacher's / BCBA's plan, and reinforce the replacement behavior more often than the behavior you're trying to reduce.
Artículo · American Academy of Pediatrics — HealthyChildren.org · ~5 min
In Round 1 (Function-Replacement Card, ~12 min), participants receive three student behavior vignettes with a hypothesized function for each (attention, escape/avoid, access to a tangible, sensory) and complete a card with three columns for each: what function the behavior is serving, what replacement behavior would serve the same function in an acceptable way, and what reinforcer would need to be delivered (must match the function, not just be something preferred) — grounded in the IES Practice Guide Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom (Recommendation 3: teach and reinforce new skills to increase appropriate behavior), which establishes that reinforcing a replacement behavior means the reinforcer must deliver the same outcome the problem behavior was getting; this round counters the failure mode of suppressing the unwanted behavior without identifying a replacement, which leaves the student without a way to meet the need. In Round 2 (Reinforcement Script, ~12 min), participants draft a reinforcement delivery script for one replacement behavior from Round 1: the exact language (specific — naming the behavior — and immediate — delivered within seconds), the delivery timing, and what distinguishes effective reinforcement from vague praise that is too delayed or non-contingent to function; the script must include the sentence they would say and the moment they would say it, making delivery a planned action rather than a remembered intention. In Round 3 (Schedule Thinning Plan, ~11 min), given a scenario where a replacement behavior is newly established (student is reliably requesting a break instead of bolting), participants draft the thinning steps: the current reinforcement schedule, the next thinner schedule they would move to, and the data indicator they would watch to know the student is ready; pairs annotate each other's plans for whether thinning is gradual and whether the data indicator is observable, reinforcing that stopping reinforcement abruptly after a replacement behavior appears is itself a failure mode — schedule thinning is the third phase of reinforcement-based practice, not optional cleanup.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
NCII behavior-strategies module; the reinforcement section covers positive and negative reinforcement, aligning reinforcers to the hypothesized function of the behavior, differential reinforcement, and reinforcing the replacement behavior more often than the problem behavior occurs. Each strategy includes purpose, implementation procedures, sample scripts, and intensification options — a second, walk-through modality alongside the IES practice guide.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) — U.S. Dept. of Education · ~40 min
A self-paced module on the building blocks of behavior support — the ABCs of behavior (what happens right before, the behavior itself, and what follows), how reinforcement shapes whether a behavior repeats, and proactive routines that head off problems before they start. Helps you read why a behavior keeps happening and respond in ways that grow the behavior you want, rather than just reacting in the moment. (CEEDAR Center; OSEP/ED-funded, no NC/ND; page browser-verified.)
Módulo · CEEDAR Center (U.S. Dept. of Education, OSEP) · ~90 min
Notar y reconocer un cambio de conducta deseado justo cuando ocurre —una palabra discreta o una señal acordada— y avisar al maestro para que siga reforzándose.
IES-funded strategy walk-through on 'catching students being good': the three elements of effective praise (contingent on the behavior, behavior-specific, and authentic), why the behavior you give attention to is the behavior you get more of, and worked video examples — including private, low-profile praise to one student. Directly the skill the scenario tests: name the wanted behavior, the moment it happens.
Módulo · The Classroom Check-Up (IES-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~22 min
A 90-second classroom demonstration clip of reinforcement done right — reinforcing the connection between the wanted behavior and the reward the moment it shows up. The catch-them-being-good move shown, not described; pair with the behavior-specific-praise worked examples in the Classroom Check-Up module.
Video · Texas SPED Support / Texas Education Agency · ~2 min
One-page fillable planner: name the behaviors you want to see less of, identify their positive opposites, and write the behavior-specific praise statements you'll use to 'catch' them. A few minutes to fill out, then keep it on hand — the quick-access job aid for putting praise to work in the moment.
Actividad · The Classroom Check-Up (IES-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~5 min
Center on PBIS practice brief on why acknowledging students' social, emotional, and behavioral skills works — the conceptual case for delivering specific praise and reinforcement to grow wanted behavior rather than only suppressing the unwanted kind. The principle behind catching and reinforcing a positive change the moment it shows up.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education, grant #H326S230002) · ~20 min
Ajustar el apoyo para estudiantes con trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH): saber cuándo redirigir, cuándo usar adaptaciones y cuándo documentar patrones para la revisión del equipo.
CDC guide on evidence-based classroom strategies for students with ADHD — behavioral management, organizational training, low-key redirection, daily report cards, movement breaks, and how IEP/504 accommodations work.
Artículo · CDC · ~20 min
Child Mind Institute's educator guide to ADHD — symptoms vs. look-alikes, how ADHD presents in girls, executive function, daily report cards, and concrete classroom strategies — clinical authority at classroom altitude. Freely viewable, no account; a Spanish version is offered on-site.
Guía · Child Mind Institute · ~25 min
One-page checklist of the concrete executive-function teaching moves — modeling a thinking strategy, goal setting, self-monitoring and self-regulated strategy use, task analysis, and step-by-step strategy practice across settings. Pull up the 'HLP 14' section on its own (about 5 minutes). Written for teachers, so use it to recognize these supports and see how you can reinforce a student's strategy use across the day under the supervising teacher's plan — not to design the strategy yourself.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Seven-minute video explaining the emotional barrier — the 'Wall of Awful' — behind ADHD task-initiation refusal: the exact freeze/refusal moment a para can misread as defiance. Reframes the redirect-vs-accommodate judgment call at the core of executive-function support.
Video · How to ADHD (Jessica McCabe) · ~7 min
CDC overview of behavioral classroom management and organizational training for students with ADHD — task chunking, routine-building, goal charts, and reducing distractions; the evidence base behind executive-function scaffolding.
Artículo · CDC · ~12 min
Free state-government module on child and adolescent development — how executive-function systems develop, what stress does to learning and self-regulation, and how structured choice and control reduce cognitive load for students with ADHD. A conceptual frame for why EF scaffolding works.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~20 min
Center on PBIS guide on classroom supports for students with disabilities, including structure, prompting, and reinforcement strategies that help students with attention and executive-function difficulties stay organized and engaged.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
Interactive online self-assessment a student answers (with para support) about how often executive-function situations trip them up across up to eight skill areas; it returns instant scored results (emerging / developing / strong) as a generated summary. A concrete way to turn a vague "disorganized" into specific areas to watch and report. Free online tool.
Actividad · General Academic · ~20 min
Interactive self-paced module for paraeducators on supporting academic learning: cultivating learner independence, understanding learning goals, using 'least to most' prompting to check for learning in real time, and supporting small group work. The executive-function scaffolding moves a para uses under the teacher's direction — prompt and fade to build independence, not design the instruction.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~25 min
Apoyo en transiciones recurrentes
SPED: LeveResponder con eficacia a las fallas recurrentes en las transiciones y, a la vez, usar los datos para abogar por cambios en la propia rutina de transición.
CDC resource for school staff on supporting students with autism — structured routines, visual supports, and classroom adjustments grounded in evidence-based practice.
Artículo · CDC · ~15 min
Center on PBIS practice brief on structured, predictable supports for students with autism — visual schedules, pre-teaching transitions, and consistent routines. A short read alongside the longer SWPBIS-and-Autism webinar.
Guía · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
CDC overview of evidence-based behavioral and educational approaches for autism, including structured teaching, visual instructions, and consistent routines.
Artículo · CDC · ~50 min
Short federal brief on the recurring-transition supports at the core of this skill — previewing what comes next, visual schedules, first/then language, and advance warnings inside predictable, consistent routines. Note: written for infants/toddlers and families (Head Start, HHS), but the visual-schedule, first/then, and advance-warning routines transfer directly to supporting school transitions. Reinforce the supervising teacher's plan. Public domain.
Guía · Office of Head Start / HHS (HeadStart.gov) · ~6 min
In Round 1 (Transition Data Card, ~12 min), participants analyze a recurring lunch-to-afternoon transition scenario and produce a structured written data card — recording observed antecedents, student response, elapsed time, and which plan strategies were attempted — building the evidence base that the CDC's "Information on Autism Spectrum Disorder for Educators" and the Center on PBIS's "Supporting Students with Autism Through School-Wide PBIS" practice brief identify as essential for recognizing when a routine needs systemic adjustment rather than faster redirecting (failure mode: manage the moment without recording, so the pattern stays invisible to the team). In Round 2 (Proactive Routine Script, ~12 min), participants draw on the CDC's "Treatment and Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder" evidence base — structured teaching, visual instructions, and consistent predictable sequences — to draft a written step-by-step transition support script specifying advance warning timing, visual schedule check-in language, first/then framing, and a clear endpoint signal, producing an artifact specific enough to hand to a substitute and countering the pattern of giving unlimited time without a structured plan (failure mode: accommodate indefinitely, which extends the breakdown without working toward a shorter, calmer routine). In Round 3 (Team Advocacy Brief, ~11 min), participants synthesize their data card and support script into a 3–5 sentence written brief for the next team meeting — naming the frequency of the breakdown, the average elapsed time, one proactive strategy that shows promise, and one specific question about what to change in the routine — practicing the observer-to-advocate role: surfacing the pattern and the data to the people who can revise the plan.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Center on PBIS webinar on how school-wide PBIS structures — visual supports, predictable routines, pre-teaching transitions — support students with autism. Covers the evidence base for the structured-routine practices at the core of recurring transition support.
Video · Center on PBIS (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~51 min
Comunicación y colaboración
9 áreas de habilidad
Tomar la iniciativa de comunicarse con los maestros de manera concreta y específica sobre los cambios que observa en los estudiantes.
- EsencialBuilding Relationships with Students (Mass DESE Paraeducator Module) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Free state-government paraeducator module on developmental, asset-based relationships with students and the communication habits that make sharing observations with teachers natural.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~35 min
A short, fillable self-check on the habits that make observation-sharing land — verbal and nonverbal active listening, asking clarifying questions, and making statements that are 'accurate and descriptive rather than vague and evaluative.' Complete just this one HLP 1 subtest (~5 min). It is a teacher-facing tool; for a para it's a fast gauge of how clearly you surface what you notice to the supervising teacher.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~5 min
- Paraeducator Mission & Mindset — Partnering with Teachers (Mass DESE) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Free state-government module on building productive communication routines with supervising teachers, sharing meaningful observations at the right time, and raising concerns constructively.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~15 min
CPIR federal overview of the paraeducator's role on the team — including how to share classroom observations with teachers and contribute to student planning. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
University autism-center training video made for paraprofessionals on communicating and collaborating with the teaching team — sharing what you observe clearly and in role. On the trainings page, scroll to the 'Communication and Collaboration' video (~15 min); free, no login.
Video · Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA), Indiana University · ~15 min
Interactive federal training on watching for developmental milestones and — the part that's genuinely hard — how to raise a concern with a parent or teacher constructively and early. Scenario practice, not just reading. Best fit for early-grade paras. Free, no login; 508-accessible alternate included.
Módulo · CDC — Learn the Signs. Act Early. · ~60 min
Compartir sus observaciones directas en las reuniones de equipo, incluso cuando cuestionan un plan ya establecido.
Short PaTTAN video explaining what a paraprofessional contributes as an IEP team member — when and how to share classroom observations within the meeting.
Video · PaTTAN (Pennsylvania Training & Technical Assistance Network) · ~8 min
CPIR overview of the paraeducator's role on the team, including how to contribute classroom observations and communicate within an IEP team. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~45 min
Plain-language CPIR explainer of the IEP-team category a paraprofessional is invited under: IDEA §300.321(d) lets the school include 'a paraprofessional ... who can offer special expertise or knowledge about the child.' It grounds why your direct, daily observations belong at the table and gives you the standing to contribute them — even when what you've seen complicates the current plan. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~5 min
Free state-government module on the IEP process and how paraeducators contribute classroom observations as data points — framing what you see as team input that improves decisions.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~12 min
CPIR plain-language walkthrough of the IEP team meeting — who attends, the agenda, how decisions are made, member-excusal rules, and what happens after — so paras can contribute observations at the right moment. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
In three sequential rounds (~35 minutes total), participants build the skills needed to contribute daily classroom observations in team meetings even when those observations complicate an existing plan. Round 1 (Observation Inventory, ~11 min) draws on the CPIR's 'Paraprofessionals: Roles, Resources, and Research' framing — that paras hold IDEA-recognized direct knowledge of the child's functioning — to make that knowledge visible: each participant lists 2–3 specific, concrete observations about a student they support and marks each as shared in a team setting or not yet, directly surfacing the deference-and-silence pattern by making withheld observations countable. Round 2 (Observation Frame, ~12 min) uses the PaTTAN 'IEP Team Member: Paraprofessional' guidance on the para's contribution role to draft a complete 3-sentence frame for one withheld observation: leading with observable behavior witnessed ('I noticed that…'), naming the discrepancy with the current plan without disputing it, and closing with an offer to the team rather than a verdict — building the specific language the deference pattern suppresses. Round 3 (Decision Impact Analysis, ~12 min) targets the privatization failure mode — sharing observations only with the teacher after the meeting instead of in it — by having participants trace the same observation through two delivery paths on a comparison table (in-meeting vs. after-meeting), recording who received the information and at what decision stage, then writing a one-sentence conclusion about what the team gained or lost by timing alone.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Dirigir al maestro las preguntas de los padres sobre el progreso del estudiante, mientras hace que los padres se sientan respetados.
CPIR guide on meaningful family engagement — the appropriate roles of different staff when communicating with families, what paras can and cannot share, and how to direct families to the teacher or coordinator for substantive questions. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~25 min
A short, fillable self-check on HLP 3 (Collaborate With Families): rate yourself on treating families with dignity and respect, communicating in a language and method the family can actually access, and sharing only what supports the student's plan. Complete just this one subtest (~5 min). It is a teacher-facing tool; for a para it's a fast gauge of staying warm and respectful while redirecting substantive progress questions to the supervising teacher.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~5 min
CPIR plain-language guide to all five IDEA dispute-resolution options — the two informal approaches (IEP review, facilitated IEP meeting) plus mediation, state complaint, and due process — so paras understand the proper channels and can redirect distressed parents appropriately without overstepping. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~10 min
Free state-government module covering protecting student privacy and managing information-sharing with families — including how to redirect parent questions appropriately to the supervising teacher.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~15 min
Plantear los desacuerdos profesionales de forma directa y en privado, y recibir la retroalimentación sin ponerse a la defensiva.
Free state-government paraeducator module on the role, building partnerships with supervising teachers, responding to feedback, and handling professional disagreements constructively.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~45 min
A short, fillable self-check on HLP 1 (Collaborate With Professionals), here applied to feedback: rate yourself on verbal and nonverbal active listening, asking open-ended questions, and keeping statements accurate and descriptive rather than evaluative — the same habits behind raising a concern directly and privately and receiving correction without defensiveness. Complete just this one subtest (~5 min). Teacher-facing tool, used here as a quick para self-gauge.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~5 min
The Council for Exceptional Children's 12 ethical principles and 9 standards for professional practice — including explicit standards on conduct toward professional colleagues and paraeducators — the normative frame behind raising disagreements directly and receiving feedback professionally.
Guía · Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) · ~15 min
Elaborar registros escritos claros, basados en hechos y en lo observable (informes de incidentes, bitácoras diarias, notas de comunicación) que resistan la revisión de las familias, la administración o las instancias legales.
- EsencialData Collection & Analysis Online Courses (PROGRESS Center / NCII) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Free self-paced interactive courses on collecting and analyzing student data — defining a target behavior, choosing a measurement method, graphing, and using the data to inform decisions — giving the written-documentation skill an active, produce-something way in. Certificate of completion; free account required.
Actividad · PROGRESS Center / National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~30 min
- EsencialDefining, Measuring, and Monitoring Behaviors (NCII Behavior Course) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
NCII multi-part video module on selecting a target behavior, writing an observable operational definition, choosing a measurement system (frequency, duration, interval), and graphing data for decisions; free, no login.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~60 min
Federal HHS article on the one documentation habit that holds up to family, administrator, or legal review: write only what you see and hear, not judgments — 'doesn't like,' 'gets upset,' 'distracted,' and 'a lot' get replaced with the observable actions and direct quotes. Includes a side-by-side example of a judgment-laden note vs. a factual one. Written for early-childhood / Head Start staff; the objective-vs-evaluative standard transfers directly to K-12 incident reports, daily logs, and communication notes. Public domain.
Artículo · U.S. Department of Health & Human Services / Head Start (ECLKC) · ~5 min
Federal tip sheet on producing objective, observable progress records — the difference between subjective impressions and documentable data, with the federal regulations summarized. Framed around IEP goals but the standard transfers to incident reports, daily logs, and communication notes.
Guía · PROGRESS Center (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~8 min
Short para-written brief on recording the data the teacher designed — including a "Providing Objective Documentation" section (factual, observable notes vs. subjective impressions) and how the para/teacher roles divide. A plain by-role companion to the fuller documentation guides. Free PDF, no login; link-only.
Guía · Connecticut State Education Resource Center (SERC) · ~10 min
Usar las plataformas digitales aprobadas por el distrito para recopilar datos y comunicarse, respetando los límites de la ley de privacidad educativa (FERPA) en cuanto a dispositivos y cuentas personales.
- EsencialFERPA 101: For Local Education Agencies (Interactive Training) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
PTAC's interactive FERPA 101 training for K-12 staff — what counts as an education record, who may access it, when data may be shared with or without consent, and the limits when using digital platforms and third-party tools.
Módulo · U.S. Department of Education — Student Privacy Policy Office (PTAC) · ~35 min
Short U.S. Department of Education Student Privacy Policy Office FAQ on the exact question behind district device and account rules: before using any app or online service that touches student information, confirm your school/district has approved it, and check with IT. Spells out the FERPA 'school official' conditions a tool must meet. The plain-language reason a para uses only district-approved platforms — never a personal device or account. Public domain.
Artículo · U.S. Department of Education (Student Privacy Policy Office / PTAC) · ~4 min
U.S. Dept. of Education Student Privacy Policy Office hub of FERPA guidance for school staff — what student data can be shared, with whom, and the limits that apply when using digital platforms, personal devices, and online services. The authoritative federal reference behind district device/account rules.
Guía · U.S. Department of Education (Student Privacy Policy Office / PTAC) · ~15 min
In Round 1 (Platform Sort, ~12 min), participants receive a list of ten digital tools and usage scenarios — district data app, personal Google Drive, WhatsApp para-team group, district email, a behavior-tracking app downloaded from the App Store, texting a parent from a personal cell — and sort each into 'district-approved and covered,' 'need to confirm with IT before using,' or 'never appropriate without explicit district authorization,' using the FERPA 101: For Local Education Agencies framework (PTAC, U.S. Dept. of Education), which establishes that a tool is covered only when it meets the FERPA 'school official' conditions and is under the district's direct control; the sort counters the failure mode of defaulting to convenient personal tools on the assumption that silence from supervisors equals permission. In Round 2 (Data Entry Practice Run, ~12 min), participants receive a student behavior observation vignette and a mock district data-entry form, write the observation entry using only authorized, minimum-necessary information, and then annotate what they excluded and why — no identifying details beyond the student record field, no diagnostic labels beyond the IEP code in the form, no parent contact information stored outside the system — grounding each exclusion in the FERPA 101 definition of education record and minimum-necessary access; the artifact is the annotated entry with explicit reasons, not just a filled form. In Round 3 (FERPA Boundary Response, ~11 min), participants receive three well-meaning scenarios that cross the line — forwarding a parent email to a personal phone for easy reference, texting a colleague the student's first name and IEP goal, photographing the data sheet on a personal device to review later — and write the specific alternative action and the sentence they would say to a coworker who suggests the shortcut; pairs annotate each other's responses for whether the alternative is workable and the coworker response is firm without being preachy, reinforcing that the boundary is a legal obligation, not personal preference.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Averiguar de forma proactiva los objetivos del IEP y las adaptaciones que usted debe implementar —enfocando la solicitud en el estudiante, acudiendo a las personas correctas y dando seguimiento hasta obtener la información.
The federal special-education regulation itself, in plain text: the school must make a student's IEP accessible to everyone responsible for carrying it out, and each of them must be informed of their specific responsibilities and the exact accommodations, modifications, and supports the student is to receive. The one-paragraph legal basis for asking — being told the supports you implement is the school's obligation, not a favor. Fast to read and keep on hand.
Guía · Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~5 min
A one-page summary tool that captures a student's IEP essentials — goals, services, accommodations and adaptations, and behavior strategies — in a form a para can actually use day to day. Print it and bring it when you ask the teacher or case manager to fill it in with you; it turns 'show me the plan' into a concrete, quick request. The quick-access job aid for surfacing what you need to do the job.
Actividad · Idaho SESTA / Idaho Training Clearinghouse (Idaho SDE, OSEP State Personnel Development Grant) · ~5 min
Plain-language walk-through of what the supports written into an IEP actually are — accommodations vs. modifications, supplementary aids and services, and the supports for school staff that the IEP can require. Helps you identify and name the specific things you should have been shown for the student you support, so your ask is concrete ('I need the accommodations list') rather than vague. Public-domain federal parent-center resource.
Artículo · Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR), OSEP-funded (#H328R230009) · ~9 min
Free self-paced courses on how an IEP works and who is responsible for implementing it — including the IEP team members, the goals and present-levels statement, and the services and aids a student is owed. Background for understanding why the people carrying out a plan have to be informed of it, and where a para fits. Courses run about 30-60 minutes; free registration with the PROGRESS Center / NCII Learning Module Library is required to open them.
Módulo · PROGRESS Center (OSEP-funded, operated by the American Institutes for Research) · ~45 min
Documentar la comunicación emergente
SPED: SignificativaReconocer, registrar y escalar las posibles señales de comunicación en estudiantes que usan sistemas de comunicación no simbólicos o emergentes.
CDC resource covering how students with significant disabilities communicate, including non-verbal and emerging communication, and how staff can respond. NOTE: general guidance — for the documentation skill itself, see the Project Core Beginning Communicators module and coordinate with your SLP.
Artículo · CDC · ~15 min
Full professional-development module on the many ways beginning communicators express themselves — and strategies for identifying and honoring all early, pre-symbolic forms of expression, the para's half of emergent-communication documentation. Free self-directed online version plus downloadable presentation, video, handouts, and assessment. Follow your SLP's documentation protocol for what and how to record.
Módulo · Project Core — Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill (OSEP-funded) · ~45 min
Short overview of the Project Core implementation model, whose first practice is exactly this skill: identifying and attributing meaning to ALL the ways a student communicates — body movements, facial expressions, vocalizations — before they use speech or symbols. The foundation for noticing and documenting a student's emergent communicative acts. Recognize and record what you observe; follow your SLP's documentation protocol (your SME). OSEP-funded (U.S. Dept. of Education #H327S140017), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Guía · Project Core — Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, UNC-Chapel Hill (OSEP-funded) · ~6 min
CPIR guide on documenting supports and student response for the team. NOTE: covers general observation/documentation for the IEP team, not SLP-specific communication coding — for the communication side, see the Project Core Beginning Communicators module; follow your SLP's protocol.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~18 min
CPIR overview of communication and assistive-technology supports for students with significant disabilities, and the team's role. NOTE: orientation-level — recognizing and documenting non-symbolic communicative acts for the SLP is best learned directly from your SLP; coordinate with your SLP.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
In Round 1 (Signal Hunt, ~12 min), participants receive a vignette of a student who uses non-symbolic communication — eye gaze, body orientation, vocalizations, and rhythmic movement — and build a Signal Catalog card, sorting each observed behavior into 'consistent pattern' or 'seen once,' using the Communication Supports for Students with Complex Needs (CPIR) framework for recognizing the full range of ways students with complex needs communicate. The round directly counters the failure mode of treating documentation as 'the SLP's job' by establishing that noticing and recording is the para's distinct contribution to the team. In Round 2 (Observation Log Drill, ~12 min), participants take two signals from their catalog and write structured log entries — exact behavior, context, frequency in the session, and what preceded and followed — applying the observation and reporting structure described in Information on Autism Spectrum Disorder for Educators (CDC), where staff recognize and respond to non-verbal communicative acts; each entry must be specific enough that an SLP who was not present could read it and understand the pattern. In Round 3 (SLP Escalation Note, ~11 min), participants draft a direct written escalation to the SLP using their log entries as evidence — naming the signal, attaching the log, and closing with a specific question: 'Is this something we can build into their communication system?' Pairs then compare their draft to a provided 'passing mention' example and annotate exactly what is missing, reinforcing that a structured written handoff with evidence is the target behavior, not a vague verbal mention at the end of the day.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Self-paced webshop on high- and low-tech AAC strategies for students with significant support needs who communicate without speech — recognizing and building on emergent communicative signals rather than waiting for spoken words. Free account; open to out-of-state users; link-only.
Módulo · Virginia Department of Education — TTAC Online · ~45 min
Escuchar a las familias de los estudiantes que aprenden inglés (ELL), mantener la conversación dentro de su rol y asegurarse de que se establezca un canal de comunicación con interpretación adecuada.
U.S. Dept. of Education guidance on school-to-family communication for ELL families: working with interpreters, translation obligations, respecting boundaries, and ensuring families get information in a language they understand.
Guía · National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
Six-chapter federal toolkit for engaging ELL families: rights under Title III, language-access obligations, communicating across language barriers, and culturally responsive engagement. Available in multiple languages.
Guía · Office of English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
One-page checklist on communicating with families with dignity, honoring their language and culture, and — the item that matters most across a language barrier — making sure information reaches the family in a language and method they understand, using an interpreter or translation when staff don't share the language. Pull up the 'HLP 3' section on its own (about 5 minutes). Use it to recognize when a properly interpreted channel is in place and to surface to the team when one is missing, keeping the conversation within the para's role.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Free state-government module on supporting multilingual learners — building relationships with ELL families across language and cultural differences, understanding Title III language-access rights, and using home language as a bridge in family communication.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~20 min
Profesionalismo y ética
6 áreas de habilidad
Negarse a compartir información del estudiante con colegas que no tienen necesidad de conocerla, sin que resulte incómodo.
Official U.S. Department of Education resource on FERPA rights, obligations, and what to share with whom.
Guía · U.S. Department of Education · ~25 min
- EsencialFERPA 101: For Local Education Agencies (Interactive Training) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
The U.S. Department of Education's own interactive computer-based course on FERPA basics for K-12 — what counts as a student record, who may access it, when it may be shared, and the consent exceptions. About 30–40 minutes; free short registration. This is the official agency training, not a third-party interpretation.
Actividad · U.S. Department of Education — Student Privacy Policy Office (PTAC) · ~35 min
Official U.S. Department of Education short video on protecting student information — what data is private, how to handle requests, and a school helper's responsibility to keep records secure. The FERPA duties shown apply equally to paraeducators as school employees.
Video · U.S. Department of Education — Student Privacy Policy Office · ~5 min
University autism-center training video made for paraprofessionals on confidentiality in the para role — what you may and may not share, and how to communicate about students appropriately. On the trainings page, scroll to the 'Confidentiality and Communication' video (~15 min); free, no login.
Video · Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA), Indiana University · ~15 min
Mantener una separación clara entre su vida personal y profesional, incluidas las redes sociales.
Quick federal FAQ on when a photo or video of a student is a protected education record (ID photos, a recorded incident, a medical emergency) — the fast rule for which student images you must never post, text, or share on social media. Recognize the line and route any posting question to your supervising teacher. Public domain.
Artículo · U.S. Department of Education — Student Privacy Policy Office (PTAC) · ~5 min
Free state-government module on professional conduct for school staff — appropriate vs. inappropriate contact with students in digital contexts, protecting privacy in communications, and the ethics that apply online and off.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~20 min
Free state-government module on maintaining appropriate boundaries with students and families across in-person and digital contexts — what is and is not appropriate contact, and how to protect student privacy.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~20 min
CPIR federal overview of the paraeducator role and professional obligations — appropriate conduct with students and families, and the standards that apply to all school personnel. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
Three-round, 35-minute protocol for paras navigating digital and social media boundaries with students and families. Round 1 — Boundary Classification (12 min): participants sort twelve digital-contact scenarios — student follow requests, DMs to a personal account, posting classroom photos, sharing a student's work sample, texting after hours, viewing a student's public social profile — into appropriate or not appropriate, then write one sentence explaining the underlying principle for each "not appropriate" judgment, drawing on the Mass DESE "Paraeducator Mission & Mindset — Professional Conduct and Digital Boundaries" and "Building Relationships with Students: Professional and Digital Boundaries" modules' framework that keeping professional contact channels separate protects both students and paras. Round 2 — Script Workshop (12 min): for four common boundary moments — a student's social media follow request, a student texting your personal number, a parent's friend request, and a colleague asking you to post a class photo — participants draft the exact words they would say or send; each script must be clear, warm, and sound like a standing personal rule rather than a rejection of the specific person, directly countering the failure modes of accepting the request to protect the relationship or ignoring it to avoid the conversation. Round 3 — FERPA Photo Line (11 min): given five photo-or-video scenarios drawn from "FAQs on Photos and Videos of Students Under FERPA" (U.S. Dept. of Education), participants classify each as protected education record, not a record, or route-to-supervising-teacher, then write one personal rule about student images on their personal device — translating the federal standard into a usable daily heuristic that identifies what to recognize and who to loop in.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Presentarse de forma constante, puntual y preparada, entendiendo que la ausencia o tardanza de un asistente educativo (para) tiene consecuencias directas para los estudiantes que dependen de él.
Free, interactive state-government paraeducator module on professional presence, dependability, and the day-to-day habits (attendance, punctuality, preparedness) students depend on.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~30 min
Short state-TA desk reference naming the instructional paraprofessional responsibilities a team counts on you to carry out consistently: complete every assigned task, follow through on the teacher-developed plan, and follow confidentiality and safety policies. Skim the paraprofessional role list as a quick self-check on your own dependability.
Guía · Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) — PA Bureau of Special Education · ~5 min
Public-domain overview of the paraprofessional role and its professional responsibilities — including the direct impact a para's reliability and consistency has on the students who depend on them.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~18 min
In Round 1 (Impact Chain Map, ~12 min), participants receive three reliability-gap scenarios — para arrives 15 minutes late, para is unexpectedly absent for the day, para arrives on time but did not review the student's plan — and for each trace the impact chain: what the student loses in the first 15 minutes without support, what the classroom teacher has to drop to compensate, and what risks increase for the student with a disability; the mapping is grounded in the Paraeducator Mission & Mindset module from Mass DESE, which frames professional presence as a direct student-support obligation, not a personal workplace habit, and counters the failure mode of treating tardiness or absence as a scheduling inconvenience rather than a student-impact event. In Round 2 (Preparedness Checklist, ~12 min), participants build a personal daily preparedness checklist — what they would review before each school day (IEP goal focus for the day, behavior plan updates, schedule changes, health or medication changes) and where each piece of information comes from — constrained to a realistic 5-to-10 minute review that is actually executable before the first bell; the checklist makes preparedness a defined routine rather than an intention, directly countering the 'present but not ready' failure mode where physical attendance does not translate into functional readiness. In Round 3 (Absence Plan, ~11 min), participants draft an absence handoff note for when they cannot be at work: who to notify (supervisor, teacher) and at what lead time, what a coverage para or substitute needs to know about the student (regulatory needs, communication system, behavior plan highlights, health considerations), and how the note is kept current; pairs review each other's notes and annotate whether a person who has never met the student could use the note to provide basic safe support — reinforcing that a para's absence is a student-impact event requiring active mitigation, not just notification.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Poner en práctica con sinceridad la retroalimentación del supervisor, en lugar de esquivarla o hacer ajustes superficiales.
Free state-government e-learning module on the paraeducator role, partnering with teachers, protecting student privacy, responding to feedback, and your first months on the job. No account required.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~45 min
Complete one ~5-minute subtest of the CEEDAR/AIR High-Leverage Practices self-assessment. HLP 8 spells out the marks of constructive feedback — specific, focused on the process not the person ('you worked hard' over 'you're so smart'), instructive, timely, and sincere. Recognizing what good feedback looks like helps you receive correction with a growth mindset and pass it on well to students under your teacher's plan. Note: written for teachers; use it as a self-gauge.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center & American Institutes for Research · ~5 min
CEC's maintained competency framework for paraeducators — competency area 1, Professional Learning and Ethical Practice, covers using feedback to improve your skills and working under the instructional team's ongoing guidance, giving paras a professional vocabulary for growth-mindset behaviors.
Guía · Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) · ~15 min
Para-specific interactive module unit on the para–supervisor communication loop — role clarity, careful listening, willingness to be forthright, and follow-through — with a self-assessment aligned to the CEC Core Competencies and an activity to pick a growth goal and share it with your partner teacher. Work through Unit 4 of the Communication & Collaboration module (~45 min); free, no login required.
Módulo · OPEPP — Ohio Partnership for Excellence in Paraprofessional Preparation · ~45 min
Decir que no de forma clara y firme cuando le pidan falsificar o firmar registros que usted no recopiló.
The state's bright-line list of conduct you must decline — including falsifying or misrepresenting student evaluations and grading (WAC 181-87-050) and program-compliance reports, plus aiding anyone else who does. When a directive would require any of these, the code is your basis to say no and escalate through proper channels. Skim the 'Acts of Unprofessional Conduct' section. Public domain.
Guía · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) — Office of Professional Practices · ~5 min
The CEC ethical principles and practice standards — the professional obligation to maintain accurate records, refuse requests that compromise record integrity, student welfare, or legal obligations, and report unethical practice to the appropriate supervisor, regardless of pressure from colleagues.
Guía · Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) · ~15 min
CPIR overview of the legal framework under IDEA governing special education personnel — implementing IEPs as written, avoiding falsification of records, and escalating ethical concerns through proper channels. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
Free, interactive state-government paraeducator modules on professional and ethical conduct — including the obligation to decline requests that would falsify records or cross ethical lines.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~30 min
Free state-government module on what paraeducators can and cannot be asked to do — advocating professionally when assigned outside their scope, and using proper channels when a directive conflicts with legal or ethical obligations. Applies directly to refusing unethical requests while preserving professional relationships.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~45 min
A three-round, approximately 35-minute protocol that builds the full skill arc for refusing unethical requests — recognizing the violation, delivering a clear and constructive refusal, and mapping the escalation channel when the pressure comes from above rather than a peer. Round 1 (10–12 min): Violation Identification. Participants receive two written vignettes: the quiz scenario (a stressed coworker asks you to sign off on student data they forgot to collect) and a harder variant (a supervising teacher asks you to record an IEP goal score from a session you were not present for). For each vignette, participants complete a structured analysis card naming the specific conduct that would violate the CEC Code of Ethics record-integrity obligation (pro5-r1, CEC Code of Ethics: Ethical Practice in Special Education) and IDEA's prohibition on falsifying student records (pro5-r2, CPIR IDEA and Ethical Practice overview), then identify which failure mode the most tempting wrong response represents: enabling the falsification under social pressure, issuing a soft exit that leaves the door open, or saying no without steering toward the honest path. Round 1 is analysis only — no scripting yet; identifying the mechanism of each failure mode before drafting is what separates this from a reaction exercise. Round 2 (11–13 min): Response Scripting. Drawing on the MA DESE Professional and Ethical Conduct module's framing that a para's obligation is to decline requests that would falsify records (pro5-r5) and the MA DESE Role Clarity module's guidance on using proper channels when a directive conflicts with legal obligations (pro5-r4), each participant writes the exact 2–3 sentences they would say in Vignette A. The script must pass three tests derived from the value-4 quiz anchor: the refusal is clear and not hedged ('not comfortable' language is the soft-exit failure mode to eliminate), it names why the refusal matters in terms of what record integrity protects for the student, and it steers the coworker toward the honest path rather than leaving them to decide alone. Pairs read each other's scripts aloud and flag any that still function as soft exits; the revision cycle is the learning event. Round 3 (11–12 min): Escalation Mapping. Participants apply the CPIR IDEA obligations resource (pro5-r2) and the WA OSPI code's explicit 'basis to say no and escalate through proper channels' frame (pro5-r6) to Vignette B — the supervisor-as-requester scenario. Each participant produces a three-step written escalation plan: the in-the-moment response to the supervisor using the criteria from Round 2; who to report to next and what to document, drawn from IDEA's proper-channels guidance (principal, special-education director, or district compliance office depending on the situation); and what not to do (agree then report later, confront with an accusation, or involve the student). The session closes with each participant naming the one escalation contact in their own building they would use in step 2, converting the plan from a hypothetical into an actionable commitment. No round is discussion-only — each produces a written artifact (analysis card, response script, escalation plan) that participants can keep.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Mantener a los estudiantes en trabajo que el maestro ya planificó cuando lo dejan solo, sin asumir instrucción que nadie diseñó ni está supervisando —y avisar a la oficina si el patrón se repite.
The federal guidance on the paraprofessional role. It states that because paras provide instructional SUPPORT, they 'should not be providing planned direct instruction, or introducing to students new skills, concepts, or academic content,' and that paras work under the direct supervision of a teacher — so a program 'staffed entirely by paraprofessionals is not permitted.' Use it to recognize that being left to teach a brand-new lesson to the class alone is outside the role, and to name the boundary accurately when you raise it.
Guía · U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education · ~15 min
A quick reference that splits the work plainly: the supervising teacher 'takes responsibility for instruction of new concepts, skills, and each new classroom activity,' while the para 'reinforces and reviews concepts and skills' and assists with activities the teacher started. Its may/may-not list says a para may be left briefly while the teacher steps out (the teacher stays responsible and accessible) but may NOT be a substitute for a certified teacher or teach new concepts and skills independently. Includes a 'find out' checklist (your line of authority, your duties) you can use to surface the question early. Skim the two tables near the end.
Actividad · Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (Special Education Unit) · ~6 min
A free self-paced module whose Unit 1 walks through what the para's instructional job actually is — supporting and carrying out instruction the teacher plans and directs, rather than designing or delivering it. It backs up the move in this scenario: keep students working on what the teacher set up, and leave the designing to the teacher whose job it is.
Módulo · Ohio Partnership for Excellence in Paraprofessional Preparation (OPEPP), Ohio Department of Education and Workforce-funded (free; create a login to enroll and track progress) · ~30 min
A short presentation laying out the laws and standards on what paras may and may not be asked to do and the supervision they are owed. It was made for administrators, but the same rules help a para recognize when 'cover the class and teach the new lesson alone' crosses a role and supervision line — so you can raise a repeated pattern as the building-level issue it is, not a favor to keep absorbing.
Video · PaTTAN (Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network, PA Bureau of Special Education) · ~20 min
Inclusión e implementación del IEP
10 áreas de habilidad
Detectar las adaptaciones del plan educativo individualizado (IEP) que faltan antes de que afecten al estudiante y atenderlas de inmediato.
One-page PROGRESS Center tip sheet listing the supplementary aids, services, accommodations, and modifications an IEP guarantees a student — the quick reference for recognizing when a listed support isn't in place so you can flag it to the supervising teacher. Quotes the IDEA regulation. Public domain (OSEP-funded).
Guía · PROGRESS Center (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~5 min
How paraprofessionals fit into the IEP implementation cycle and their responsibility to flag missing accommodations.
Guía · Parent Center Hub (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~25 min
CPIR plain-language guide to the categories of accommodations (scheduling, setting, materials, instruction/response), grounded in IDEA with examples across grade levels. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~40 min
Interactive tool: click a problematic statement you might hear in an IEP meeting ("there's no money for that," "we've already filled in the IEP," "we don't do that here") and get a suggested response plus the legal basis behind it — 16 scenarios in all. Built in a deaf/hard-of-hearing context, but the advocacy moves transfer to any para catching a missing or resisted accommodation. Free, no login. (Educational-use grant; link-only.)
Actividad · Hands & Voices (NCLID — Families for Hands & Voices) · ~15 min
PROGRESS Center video on how a student's present-levels baseline (PLAAFP) drives the rest of the IEP — context for why specific accommodations are chosen.
Video · PROGRESS Center (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
Free state-government paraeducator module on reading an IEP, distinguishing accommodations from modifications, supporting co-teaching, and collecting progress-monitoring data.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~30 min
- IEP & Instructional Practices Online Courses (PROGRESS Center / NCII) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Free self-paced interactive courses covering IEP components — including how accommodations connect to a student's present levels and goals — plus high-leverage instructional practices. Each has a certificate of completion. Free account required.
Actividad · PROGRESS Center / National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~45 min
Reconocer las dimensiones legales y de identidad de la discapacidad (la ley de educación para personas con discapacidades [IDEA], la Sección 504, la ley de estadounidenses con discapacidades [ADA], el lenguaje que pone primero a la persona frente al que pone primero la identidad) y actuar en consecuencia con los estudiantes y las familias.
Plain-language federal explainer of who the ADA protects, what counts as a disability, and the civil-rights frame paras need when working with students and families.
Artículo · U.S. Department of Justice (ADA.gov) · ~15 min
Free self-paced ADA National Network webcourse on the core concepts of the ADA — who is protected, what counts as a disability, and the civil-rights framework behind disability identity and rights; free registration, certificate available.
Módulo · ADA National Network (ACL/NIDILRR, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) · ~420 min
CDC one-screen infographic: more than 1 in 4 U.S. adults have a disability, across cognition, mobility, hearing, vision, and self-care. A fast, plain framing of disability as common and varied — the every-student backdrop for recognizing disability as part of identity rather than a deficit. Public domain.
Artículo · CDC (National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities) · ~4 min
CDC's framing of disability as the interaction of impairment, activity limitation, and participation restriction — the identity/social-model side of disability awareness that complements the legal frame.
Artículo · CDC (National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities) · ~12 min
Three-round, 35-minute protocol for paras working with students with disabilities. Round 1 — Law-Frame Map (12 min): participants build a three-column reference card distinguishing IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA by drawing on the civil-rights framework in "Introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act" (ADA.gov) and the "ADA Foundations Webcourse" (ADA National Network) to specify who each law protects, what obligation it creates for the school, and one signal a para can recognize and surface to the case manager — countering the failure mode of treating all three frameworks as interchangeable or viewing disability purely through a medical rather than a civil-rights lens. Round 2 — Language Audit (12 min): given eight student descriptions written in deficit or medical-only framing, participants rewrite each using either person-first or identity-first language and annotate their choice with the core principle that the student and family determine which convention applies — building the habit of asking before assuming, rather than universally imposing one style. Round 3 — Rights-in-Action Card (11 min): given three brief vignettes — a parent uses identity-first language the para hadn't heard before, a student is excluded from an activity without documented IEP justification, and a colleague frames a student's disability as a burden — participants write one observation sentence and one response sentence for each, practicing the para's role as observer, supporter, and appropriate escalation point rather than decision-maker on rights questions.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Apoyar el diseño universal para el aprendizaje (UDL) y los acuerdos de coenseñanza que mantienen a los estudiantes con discapacidades participando en la instrucción de su grado, con los apoyos adecuados.
- EsencialUniversal Design for Learning (UDL) Chapter — CEEDAR PD Module (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
OSEP-funded CEEDAR interactive PD module on the three UDL principles — defining UDL, the rationale, and applying it to real K-12 instruction — with pre/post-assessment, exercises, and scenarios.
Módulo · CEEDAR Center (U.S. Dept. of Education, OSEP-funded) · ~45 min
Quick para self-gauge: one ~5-minute subtest of the CEEDAR/AIR High-Leverage Practices self-assessment — HLP 18, 'Use strategies to promote active student engagement.' Engagement is one of the three UDL principles (multiple means of engagement); rate how consistently you notice and support active participation for every learner, under the supervising teacher's plan. Teacher-facing tool used here as a reflection check. OSEP-funded; free, no login.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center / American Institutes for Research (U.S. Dept. of Education, OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Short plain-language walkthrough of the six co-teaching models with the benefits and challenges of each — and it explicitly names a teacher-plus-paraprofessional team as a co-teaching configuration, so you can see your own seat in the arrangement.
Artículo · Understood.org · ~9 min
Clickable version of the Universal Design for Learning framework: select a principle (Engagement, Representation, Action & Expression), then drill into its guidelines and considerations. A quick way to learn the inclusive-design vocabulary your teachers plan with, and to spot which UDL move a lesson is (or isn't) using. Free, no login. (© CAST; their terms expressly permit linking — link-only, we don't reproduce.)
Actividad · CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) · ~10 min
State-agency guide (updated January 2026) to the co-teaching models a para works inside — station, parallel, team, and alternative teaching — with when-and-how examples, planning tools, and how roles are aligned so every adult in the room knows their part.
Guía · Texas SPED Support / Texas Education Agency · ~40 min
Entender la diferencia legal y práctica entre adaptaciones y modificaciones, y aplicarlas correctamente.
CPIR guide distinguishing accommodations (no change to expectations) from modifications (changed expectations), with examples across scheduling, setting, materials, and response. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~30 min
- EsencialUnderstanding Inclusion, IEPs, and Accommodations (Mass DESE Module) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Free state-government module on the full range of accommodation implementation, how to read an IEP for accommodation requirements, and the legal accommodation/modification distinction.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~40 min
Quick para self-gauge: one ~5-minute subtest of the CEEDAR/AIR High-Leverage Practices self-assessment — HLP 13, 'Adapt curriculum tasks and materials.' It frames adaptations as including both accommodations (same expectations, different access) and modifications (changed expectations) — the exact distinction this skill turns on. Teacher-facing tool used here as a recognition check: the para recognizes which kind of change is in front of the student, not which to assign. OSEP-funded; free, no login.
Actividad · CEEDAR Center / American Institutes for Research (U.S. Dept. of Education, OSEP-funded) · ~5 min
Tight state-agency guide framing accommodations as changing HOW a student learns and modifications as changing WHAT a student is expected to learn — extended to Section 504 plans and linguistic accommodations for emergent bilingual students.
Guía · Texas SPED Support / Texas Education Agency · ~10 min
Openly-licensed interactive activity: read a series of short student scenarios and decide, for each, whether the support described is an accommodation (changes how, not what) or a modification (changes what is expected) — plus a drag-to-sequence activity for the special-education process and a label-the-parts-of-an-IEP task. Playable in the page, no login. (Minnesota State OER, CC BY 4.0 — reproducible with attribution, not just linkable.)
Actividad · Minnesota State (MinnState) Open Educational Resources — CC BY 4.0 · ~10 min
Resistir el impulso de hacer por los estudiantes las tareas que pueden hacer solos, incluso cuando lo piden.
- EsencialData-Based Individualization: Systematic Instruction and Prompting (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
NCII's data-based-individualization framework covers systematic instruction including prompting hierarchies, and using student-response data to decide when to fade support and adjust the prompt level.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~20 min
CDC resource for school staff on supporting students with autism — structured routines, visual supports, prompting, and classroom adjustments grounded in evidence-based practice.
Artículo · CDC · ~25 min
Free state-government module on being a 'warm demander': using prompting strategically and fading support so students build independence rather than depending on an adult.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~45 min
Short NDSIP explainer on least-to-most prompting — start with the smallest hint and add help only as the student needs it, then fade it, so the student does as much independently as possible. The core move for building genuine independence instead of prompt-dependence. OSEP-funded deaf-blind project (Univ. of Nevada, Reno); the principle transfers across settings.
Artículo · Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project, University of Nevada, Reno (OSEP-funded deaf-blind project) · ~5 min
University autism-center training video made for paraprofessionals on using prompts and fading them so students build genuine independence rather than depending on adult cues. On the trainings page, scroll to the 'Prompting' video (~20 min); free, no login.
Video · Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA), Indiana University · ~20 min
In Round 1 — The Pull Audit (12 min) — participants examine four brief vignettes of a student asking for help and complete a written analysis card labeling each as 'appropriate support,' 'rescue,' or 'unnecessary modeling,' drawing on the Massachusetts DESE 'Providing Academic Support' module's warm-demander frame — the para who holds the bar warmly while staying alongside the student; the round surfaces how the rescue impulse (doing the task because the student asked and the relationship feels at risk) and the unnecessary-modeling impulse (doing part of the task to show how) each eliminate the doing that the CDC's 'Information on Autism Spectrum Disorder for Educators' identifies as the structural moment of skill-building. In Round 2 — Warm-Demander Script Workshop (12 min) — participants choose two vignettes where they identified a rescue or modeling impulse and draft three warm-hold response scripts specifying exactly what they will say ('I know you can start this — I'll be right here'), where they will stand, and what student signal they will wait for before offering any further support, operationalizing the warm-demander stance from the Mass DESE module and the response-prompting decision point described in the NCII Data-Based Individualization framework. In Round 3 — Fade Plan (12 min) — participants select one real or composite student situation and map it onto a three-step least-to-most prompting ladder using the NCII DBI framework, specifying the prompt level currently used at each stage, the observable student behavior that would tell them to move to a lighter prompt, and the exit condition that signals the student no longer needs that step; the resulting fade-plan card is the written artifact they carry into the following week's work.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Leer el plan educativo individualizado (IEP), encontrar lo que afecta su trabajo del día a día y tratar sus adaptaciones y modificaciones como el contrato que legalmente son.
One-page PROGRESS Center tip sheet defining specially designed instruction (SDI) — the adapted content, methodology, and delivery an IEP requires — and how it differs from accommodations, modifications, and instruction given to all students. Grounds the daily question 'what does this student's IEP actually require me to support?' Quotes IDEA Sec. 300.39. Public domain (OSEP-funded).
Guía · PROGRESS Center (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~5 min
One-page federal tip sheet quoting the IDEA regulation and listing the concrete aids, services, accommodations, and modifications a para finds in an IEP — reinforcing that the IEP is a legal contract, not a suggestion.
Guía · PROGRESS Center (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~8 min
Defines the accommodation-vs-modification distinction and walks through the IDEA categories of supports a para sees in an IEP and must implement daily. Public domain.
Artículo · Center for Parent Information and Resources (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~12 min
Free self-paced course built for paraprofessionals on supporting students with autism day to day — instruction, communication, and behavior support — with interactive knowledge checks in each module and a final quiz for the certificate. Reinforces treating the IEP's supports as the plan you implement. 6 modules (~6 hours total); open self-registration to anyone (select "Private Provider / N.A. / Other" if you're outside Virginia).
Módulo · VCU Autism Center for Education (VCU-ACE), Virginia Dept. of Education-funded · ~60 min
Openly-licensed self-check activities on disability categories, the special-education process, and IDEA basics — the background knowledge that makes an IEP readable and its accommodations enforceable in your day-to-day. Playable in the page, no login. (Minnesota State OER, CC BY 4.0.)
Actividad · Minnesota State (MinnState) Open Educational Resources — CC BY 4.0 · ~10 min
In Round 1 — IEP Scan (12 min) — participants examine a set of twelve IEP-item cards and complete a written classification card sorting each into three columns — accommodations (change how the student accesses or demonstrates learning, leaving the standard intact), modifications (change what the student is expected to learn, affecting credit and testing validity), and specially designed instruction (SDI, the adapted content, methodology, or delivery IDEA §300.39 defines as requiring specialist direction) — drawing on the CPIR 'Supports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students' article's IDEA-category framework and the PROGRESS Center 'IEP Tip Sheet: What Is Special Education? A Focus on SDI' to anchor the SDI column; the round surfaces how implementing from memory or verbal instruction alone, without reading the IEP document, produces the first failure mode — substituting an approximate version that blurs which category applies and what the legal obligation actually is. In Round 2 — Contract Check (12 min) — participants receive three vignettes of a para applying an IEP support in a well-intentioned but legally compromised way (skipping the extended-time provision when a period runs short, substituting a quieter corner for a specified testing room, or reducing the number of items when the plan specifies extra time only) and write a contract check note for each identifying the specific provision from the PROGRESS Center 'IEP Tip Sheet: Supplementary Aids and Services' category that applies, what the deviation changed, and what question to bring to the case manager before acting unilaterally — countering the second failure mode of treating the IEP as a flexible suggestion rather than a legal contract whose terms are the para's daily implementation responsibility, not a starting point to adapt on the fly. In Round 3 — Daily Touchpoint Plan (11 min) — participants draft a written one-day IEP touchpoint plan listing the specific accommodations, modifications, and SDI supports they are responsible for in a typical school day, the moment in the day each applies, and one observable indicator that confirms each support was delivered correctly; the resulting card operationalizes the daily-practice frame from the CPIR IDEA-category framework — the IEP is read, its supports are identified by category, and each one is treated as a binding daily commitment rather than a background document.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Free self-paced courses walking through each part of an IEP — goals, present-levels, services, and team roles — and how they show up in the school day, so you can connect the accommodations and goals you implement to the document they come from. (Free PROGRESS Center account required.)
Módulo · PROGRESS Center (OSEP-funded, operated by the American Institutes for Research) · ~45 min
Compartir evidencia específica y observada durante las reuniones del plan educativo individualizado (IEP), en lugar de quedarse callado u ofrecer solo impresiones generales.
Short PaTTAN video on the paraprofessional's role in IEP team meetings — contributing observations and data as team input.
Video · PaTTAN (Pennsylvania Training & Technical Assistance Network) · ~8 min
Free scenario-based self-paced courses (from the federally-funded IDEA dispute-resolution center) on communicating in IEP and team meetings: listening and responding, staying constructive when emotions run high, and contributing productively. You work decisions and responses, not just watch. Free account; open to anyone. (5-course series; ~30 min each.)
Módulo · CADRE — Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~30 min
CPIR overview of how paraeducators contribute to the team using classroom observations — framing what you see as team input rather than personal opinion. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~45 min
Collection of free self-paced interactive courses on the IEP — its components, the roles of each team member, and the meeting process — each with related resources and a certificate of completion. Good for building working knowledge of how an IEP fits together before contributing observations in a team meeting. Free account required.
Actividad · PROGRESS Center / National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~45 min
- EsencialHigh-Quality IEPs: Components, Team Roles, and Implementation (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
PROGRESS Center IEP hub: a full walk-through of the seven required IEP components, team membership and meeting process, and implementation — with free self-paced courses and tip sheets.
Módulo · PROGRESS Center (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~50 min
Plain-language CPIR explainer of IDEA §300.321(d): the school may include 'a paraprofessional ... who can offer special expertise or knowledge about the child' on the IEP team. It grounds your standing to contribute direct, daily observations as team input — and is a quick read before a meeting on what to surface and how. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~5 min
CPIR collection on FBA basics — what an FBA is, how it is conducted, and how results feed a BIP that informs IEP goal decisions. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~30 min
Restablecer un apoyo al que el estudiante tiene derecho cuando se pasó por alto —tratándolo como un derecho del estudiante y no como una ayuda adicional que usted agrega— y avisar a quien esté cubriendo para que no se vuelva a omitir.
Free, no-login interactive state-DOE module built for paraeducators on inclusive practices, the IEP process, accommodations, and monitoring progress on IEP goals — the background knowledge behind treating a listed support as an entitlement to keep in place, not an optional extra.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~35 min
A one-page reference to the supports written into a student's plan — the accommodations, materials, and aids that let a student access the same work as peers (a word bank, extended time, a special seat, books on audio). The load-bearing point for this scenario: once these are in the IEP, the school must provide them as written, so they are the student's right, not extra help an adult chooses to add or hold back. Read it fast and use it to recognize what the student in front of you is owed so you can get it in place. Public-domain federal TA resource.
Guía · PROGRESS Center at the American Institutes for Research (OSEP-funded, Award No. H326C190002) · ~5 min
Plain-language walk-through of the supports an IEP can require and — the part that matters when one gets skipped — the school's duty to actually deliver them: once a supplementary aid or service is listed, those aids or services 'must be provided to the child.' Grounds the simple move of getting an entitled support back in front of a student, even on a day the normal routine broke down, in what the law requires rather than a personal favor. Public-domain federal parent-center resource.
Artículo · Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR), OSEP-funded (#H328R230009) · ~10 min
A short conversation among a state special-education consultant, a special-education supervisor, and a working paraprofessional about what the para role actually carries day to day — including being the steady person who keeps a student's supports going when other adults in the room change. Useful for seeing where you appropriately step in to keep a plan running versus where the supervising teacher's responsibilities begin. Pennsylvania state TA.
Video · PaTTAN (Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network, PA Bureau of Special Education) — official channel · ~24 min
The protocol builds the two moves this scenario requires — restoring a missed entitled support to a student immediately, and telling the substitute it is in the plan — then extends the habit to other accommodations so a substitute day does not quietly erode what a student is owed. In Round 1 (IEP Support Audit, ~12 min), participants read a scenario describing a student whose IEP lists several supports and a classroom setup missing one of them, then write: the specific support not in place, the one sentence to put it in front of the student ('This is in your plan — here it is'), and exactly how that phrasing differs from 'I'll help you out' — forcing a written distinction between a legal entitlement the school must provide and a favor the para is choosing to add. Round 2 (Sub Notification Script, ~12 min) shifts to the adult side: participants draft the two sentences they'd say to the sub after the student is back on track, the first naming the support and grounding it in the plan ('That word bank is listed in her IEP'), the second saying where to find it for the rest of the period — then exchange scripts with a partner and mark any hedged or indirect phrasing ('I was just wondering if maybe...') before revising toward language that makes the obligation visible without sounding adversarial. Round 3 (Continuity Tracker, ~11 min) extends both moves: working individually, participants list three other entitled supports from the sample IEP, identify what a missed instance looks like for each one, and write the one sentence that puts each back in place — producing a quick-reference card for future substitute days. The two dominant failure modes are reframing the entitlement as extra help (which suggests something discretionary rather than something owed) and staying quiet with the substitute after fixing the immediate problem, which corrects the moment but leaves the sub uninformed for the rest of the period.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
A self-paced course on the part of the IEP that lists a student's special education, related services, supplementary aids and services, and program modifications — what each part is and why it has to be carried out as written. Background for understanding why a support like a word bank is an entitlement the whole team must implement, not an optional extra a substitute can leave out. About 60 minutes; free registration with the PROGRESS Center opens it and the course player is JS-based, so confirm the exact module on play.
Módulo · PROGRESS Center at the American Institutes for Research (OSEP-funded) · ~60 min
Recopilar datos de las metas del IEP
SPED: LeveRegistrar datos precisos y con contexto sobre el progreso de las metas del plan educativo individualizado (IEP), incluidas las condiciones que afectaron el desempeño, para que el equipo pueda tomar decisiones informadas.
NCII resource on choosing a progress-monitoring tool, setting an ambitious goal, deciding how often to collect data, and graphing it to guide intervention decisions.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~35 min
- EsencialData-Based Individualization: A Framework for Intensive Intervention (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
NCII framework for building an individualized support plan from student data — selecting a validated intervention, monitoring response, and adapting when progress is inadequate.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~40 min
Short PROGRESS Center video using a bicycle analogy to show how the components of an IEP — goals, services, and progress-monitoring data — fit together to support student progress. A quick visual orientation before collecting goal data.
Video · PROGRESS Center (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~5 min
Step-by-step NCII module on selecting a target behavior, writing an observable definition, choosing a measurement system (frequency, interval, duration), and graphing data — the core skills for collecting IEP-goal progress data.
Módulo · National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) · ~10 min
Openly-licensed interactive walkthrough of the components of an IEP — present levels (PLAAFP), measurable goals, and how services connect to them — with embedded knowledge checks. Grounds the data you collect in what the goal actually says. Link to the IEP-components chapters (the drafting chapters skew teacher-facing). (Minnesota State OER, CC BY 4.0.)
Actividad · Minnesota State (MinnState) Open Educational Resources — CC BY 4.0 · ~12 min
Free self-paced interactive courses on collecting and using student data — selecting target behaviors, measurement systems, graphing, and adapting supports based on what the data show. Applies directly to gathering IEP-goal progress data. Certificate of completion; free account required.
Actividad · PROGRESS Center / National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) — U.S. Dept. of Education (OSEP) · ~30 min
Responder a lo que el estudiante expresa sobre la cercanía, trabajando con el equipo para reducir la dependencia y desarrollar la independencia con el tiempo.
Free state-government module on prompting strategically and fading support to build independence for students with mild/moderate disabilities, instead of creating reliance on an adult.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~40 min
Short NDSIP explainer on least-to-most prompting — the mechanism behind fading your physical proximity. Start with the least intrusive support (not hovering at the student's side), add help only as the student needs it, then fade it, so the student does as much as possible independently instead of leaning on a nearby adult. OSEP-funded deaf-blind project (Univ. of Nevada, Reno); the principle transfers across settings. Reinforce the supervising teacher's plan.
Artículo · Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project, University of Nevada, Reno (OSEP-funded deaf-blind project) · ~5 min
CPIR overview of the paraeducator role addressing over-reliance on adult proximity — how constant 1:1 proximity can undermine peer relationships and independence, and what intentional fading looks like. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~10 min
University autism-center training video made for paraprofessionals on using prompts and systematically fading them — the mechanism behind fading para proximity so a student can work without an adult at their side. On the trainings page, scroll to the 'Prompting' video (~20 min); free, no login.
Video · Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA), Indiana University · ~20 min
In Round 1 (Student Voice Analysis, ~12 min), participants receive three student-feedback scenarios — each a student expressing something about proximity, independence, or being singled out — and complete an analysis card: what the student is communicating underneath the surface request, what independence goal it points to, and whether the para's current support level is aligned with that goal, grounded in the Providing Academic Support framework from the Mass DESE paraeducator module, which establishes that fading support to build independence rather than creating reliance on an adult is the explicit goal of para support; this round counters the failure mode of dismissing student feedback as operational friction ('sitting close is part of how I help') rather than as real evidence about the student's readiness for more independence. In Round 2 (Proximity Fade Plan, ~12 min), participants draft a concrete fade plan for the quiz scenario — a student who has asked not to sit next to them — specifying the current proximity level, the next position in the sequence (one seat farther, across the table, across the room, check-in at set intervals), what observable data they would collect at each step, and the criterion for moving to the next step; the plan must show fading as a deliberate, data-tracked sequence rather than a single abrupt move, and must include a note on who reviews it (supervising teacher or special-ed team). In Round 3 (Team Brief, ~11 min), participants draft the communication they would bring to the teacher: a direct paraphrase of what the student said, what it signals about readiness for greater independence, and a specific proposed first fading step with a data-collection method attached; pairs annotate each other's briefs for whether the student's voice is presented as evidence rather than as a complaint to manage, and whether the proposed step is concrete enough for the teacher to approve and track — reinforcing that hearing the student out and bringing it to the team are both required parts of the target behavior, not sequential alternatives.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Salud, seguridad y apoyo físico
11 áreas de habilidad
Localizar y seguir con precisión el plan de salud de un estudiante cuando la enfermera no está disponible.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Ejecutar sin dudar los procedimientos de evacuación ya practicados para los estudiantes que necesitan apoyo físico.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Leer las señales de resistencia del estudiante y retirar el contacto físico antes de que la situación se intensifique.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Mantener seguros y apoyados a los estudiantes con discapacidades en la cafetería, el recreo, los pasillos, el autobús y las excursiones, donde no existe la estructura habitual del salón de clases.
Interactive course for child- and youth-program staff built on a Learn / See / Do / Apply structure with embedded scenarios and knowledge checks — covering active supervision in unstructured settings, injury prevention, and emergency readiness. The supervision content transfers directly to cafeteria/recess/hallway/bus duty. Free and publicly viewable (no account needed to use the lessons); link-only. Use the School-Age track.
Módulo · Virtual Lab School (Penn State & Ohio State, DoD/USDA-funded) · ~45 min
HHS Head Start webinar introducing the six active-supervision strategies — positioning, scanning, counting, listening, proximity, and engagement — with tips for indoor, outdoor, and transition settings; transcript included.
Video · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / Head Start (ECLKC) · ~60 min
A short overview of active supervision — setting up the space, positioning and moving, scanning and counting, listening, anticipating, and staying engaged — for keeping eyes on every student in open settings, including playgrounds and buses. Use it to plan your zone and stay actively scanning during cafeteria, recess, hallway, bus, and field-trip times when classroom structure is gone. Note: written for early-childhood programs; the supervision practices transfer to K-12 unstructured settings. Public domain.
Guía · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / Head Start (ECLKC) · ~5 min
Center on PBIS topic page on keeping students with disabilities safe and supported across all school settings within an active-supervision, tiered-support model. Note: this is a systems/behavior frame, not a dedicated cafeteria/recess/bus supervision how-to — the closest license-clear federal fit for unstructured-setting supervision.
Guía · Center on PBIS (OSEP-funded, U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
In Round 1 (Zone Setup Card, ~12 min), participants receive a diagram of an unstructured setting (cafeteria, recess yard, or hallway) and plan their active supervision zone using the Introduction to Active Supervision framework from HHS Head Start (ECLKC) — positioning for the widest sightline, mapping the left-to-right and near-to-far scanning pattern, and writing the student-count check they would run every two minutes; the round counters the passive-supervision failure mode (standing in one spot, talking with another adult, assuming proximity alone equals coverage) by making positioning, scanning, and counting concrete, planned actions rather than instincts. In Round 2 (Risk Spot Analysis, ~12 min), participants identify three risk spots in the same setting for the specific student with a disability they support — where that student is most likely to face a challenge (lunch line, busy doorway, peer interaction area) — and for each write the proactive move (what they do before an incident, not in response to one) and what active engagement looks like there, applying the ECLKC framework's listening and anticipating strategies; the analysis counters the structure-dependence failure mode by establishing that unstructured settings require more active planning precisely because classroom rules and assigned seats are absent. In Round 3 (Transition Handoff Plan, ~11 min), participants design the handoff from the unstructured period back to the classroom: what they observed about the student during the period (regulatory state, any peer interactions, any incidents), what they would communicate to the classroom teacher in one sentence, and what the student needs in the first five minutes of class to re-regulate and re-engage; pairs annotate each other's handoffs for whether the observation is specific (not just 'they were fine') and whether the re-entry plan is actionable, reinforcing that supervision in unstructured settings includes the transition out, not just the period itself.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Saber qué hacer cuando observa lesiones sin explicación: anotar lo que vio, no interrogar al estudiante y reportar de inmediato. Como persona obligada por ley a reportar, el deber es suyo: siga el procedimiento del distrito y asegúrese de que el reporte llegue a los servicios de protección infantil (CPS).
HHS federal bulletin on the elevated maltreatment risk for children with disabilities and the risk factors behind it — caregiver demand, isolation, and communication barriers. Written for child-welfare professionals; for a para it grounds why extra vigilance for this population is warranted.
Artículo · Child Welfare Information Gateway (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services) · ~15 min
Federal overview of who must report by state, the reasonable-suspicion reporting standard, training requirements, and confidentiality — what to do when you observe unexplained injuries.
Guía · Child Welfare Information Gateway (U.S. DHHS) · ~20 min
IES/REL article on trauma-informed support after a crisis: minimizing re-traumatization, restoring safety and consistency, and checking in one-on-one as students recover.
Artículo · IES Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) · ~40 min
- EsencialMandatory Reporting — Interactive Course with Reporting Scenarios (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Free state course walking through recognizing and reporting suspected abuse or neglect, built around two realistic reporting scenarios you work through (not a slideshow), with a completion certificate. General/community framing that covers school staff as mandated reporters. Open self-registration; anyone can create an account.
Módulo · Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) · ~60 min
A short federal overview of the four types of abuse and neglect (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect) and the harms they cause — the recognition foundation for noticing unexplained injuries or other warning signs. If you observe something concerning, report it to your supervising teacher / designated reporter immediately and do not question the student. Public domain. (For the reporting steps themselves, see the Child Welfare Information Gateway resources.)
Artículo · CDC · ~5 min
A three-round, approximately 35-minute protocol that builds the complete mandatory-reporter skill arc — recognizing the reportable indicator, producing a factual written account and immediate verbal report, and supporting the student's classroom experience after the report is made. Round 1 — Recognition Analysis (12 min): Participants receive five brief vignettes of observable student situations and complete a written analysis card sorting each into one of three columns: reportable indicator (reasonable suspicion is present), document and monitor (a pattern is emerging but the threshold is not yet met), or not an indicator (within normal range). Drawing on Supporting the Well-Being of Children With Disabilities (Child Welfare Information Gateway, hlt5-r3), participants apply the elevated-risk lens to each vignette — students with disabilities face disproportionately higher maltreatment risk, which raises the importance of recognizing physical, behavioral, and emotional indicators that might otherwise be attributed to the disability itself. The round is analysis-only; the failure mode it targets is normalization — the impulse to assume an unexplained mark or behavioral shift is from rough play or the student's disability and move on without documenting. Round 2 — Documentation and Report Scripting (12 min): Working from the vignette the group most debated, each participant writes a factual observation statement using four structured fields: what I observed (exact physical description and location), when and where I observed it, the student's demeanor during the observation, and a no-interpretation line confirming no conclusion was drawn and no questions were asked of the student. Drawing on Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect (Child Welfare Information Gateway, hlt5-r2), each participant then scripts a 30-second verbal report to the supervising teacher, anchored in the resource's core principle — the standard is reasonable suspicion, not certainty, and investigating what happened is not the para's role. Pairs exchange scripts and mark any interpretive language, any phrase that sounds like a conclusion about cause, and any language that opens the door to questioning the student; the revision cycle operationalizes the value-4 quiz anchor: write down exactly what you saw, go to the teacher right away, do not question the student. Round 3 — After-Report Support Mapping (11 min): Paras often face the hardest moment after the report is made — they must remain in the room and support a normal classroom experience without signaling that anything is wrong. Using Classroom Strategies to Support Students Experiencing Trauma (IES/REL, hlt5-r1), each participant produces a written three-step support map for the hour following the report: one action to restore the student's sense of safety and routine (returning to a predictable activity, using a calm and consistent voice), one action to maintain warmth without probing (brief positive engagement on a neutral topic), and one quiet check-in move that does not open a conversation about the incident. The session closes with each participant writing the name of one person in their building — the teacher, a counselor, or the designated reporter — who they will go to immediately when Round 2's threshold is met, converting the protocol from practice into a named, actionable commitment.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Seguir el protocolo de fuga (elopement) del plan educativo individualizado (IEP) o del plan de conducta (BIP) del estudiante: avisar a la oficina de inmediato, mantener seguros al resto de los estudiantes y no dejar la clase sin supervisión para perseguir al estudiante usted solo.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Entender que la sujeción física requiere capacitación y autorización aprobadas por el distrito; en una crisis, el papel del asistente educativo (para) es despejar el área, llamar al personal capacitado y mantener una distancia segura.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Regulación sensorial en emergencias
SPED: LeveAplicar apoyos sensoriales durante emergencias con muchos estímulos, como los simulacros de incendio, y abogar por rutinas enseñadas con anticipación para que el estudiante no quede sorprendido.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Dignidad en el cuidado personal
SPED: SignificativaProteger la privacidad del estudiante durante las rutinas de cuidado personal y dar seguimiento para asegurar que esas protecciones sean estructurales, no según el momento.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Posicionamiento y traslados seguros
SPED: SignificativaTomar decisiones basadas en su capacitación sobre los traslados de posición: realizar solo los procedimientos para los que ha sido autorizado directamente y documentar cuando haya vacíos de cobertura.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Protocolo de respuesta ante convulsiones
SPED: SignificativaEjecutar correctamente un protocolo de respuesta ante convulsiones: quedarse con el estudiante, pedir ayuda sin irse, cronometrar el episodio y documentarlo con precisión.
Todavía no hay recursos en la lista.
Autocuidado y bienestar profesional
6 áreas de habilidad
Identificar en usted mismo las señales del estrés traumático secundario y buscar el apoyo adecuado antes de que se agrave.
Defines secondary traumatic stress, distinguishes it from burnout, and outlines warning signs and response strategies for school staff.
Guía · National Child Traumatic Stress Network · ~15 min
Free interactive training (from the CA Surgeon General's office) on how trauma and chronic stress affect students — and on recognizing and managing the toll the work takes on you. Case examples and applied practices, not lecture-only; explicitly open to any adult who works with youth (classified staff, yard duty, aides). Free ACEs Aware account; open to anyone, in or out of state.
Módulo · California Office of the Surgeon General / ACEs Aware · ~40 min
Short tip sheet that names and defines secondary traumatic stress — distinguishing it from burnout — and lists the recognition signs: feeling that others' trauma is your own, being jumpy or on-guard, intrusive images. Use it to notice the early signs in yourself or a colleague and reach for support. Written for disaster responders; the recognition cues apply directly to school staff. Public domain.
Guía · SAMHSA (U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) · ~6 min
NCTSN introduction to secondary traumatic stress — distinguishes it from burnout and compassion fatigue, describes who is at highest risk, and outlines individual and organizational prevention strategies.
Guía · National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) · ~10 min
Short NCTSN video conversation (Drs. Sprang and Amaya-Jackson) on what secondary traumatic stress is, how it shows up, and why it matters for people who work with trauma-exposed students. Framed for providers; the recognition cues apply directly to school staff.
Video · National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN / SAMHSA / HHS) · ~15 min
Free NCTSN e-learning course built on the Child Trauma Toolkit's 10 educator fact sheets — recognizing how trauma shows up in student behavior, distinguishing trauma responses from willful misbehavior, and staff self-care for secondary traumatic stress. Free account required to enter the course; the underlying toolkit is also downloadable without an account on nctsn.org.
Módulo · National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) · ~60 min
Free NCTSN/SAMHSA 5-hour interactive course that puts you in scenario-based disaster-response situations. Builds the foundational skill of recognizing and responding to trauma-related distress in others — relevant background for understanding secondary traumatic stress in yourself and colleagues. Free account required at learn.nctsn.org.
Actividad · National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN / SAMHSA / U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) · ~300 min
Mantener límites adecuados en cuanto al tiempo, el rol y la carga de trabajo para sostener su efectividad a largo plazo.
Free interactive on-demand training from the NY state oversight agency for the protection of people with special needs — the 'zone of helpfulness,' physical, interpersonal, and psychological boundary types, case scenarios, and self-awareness tools, with a completion certificate. No account needed. Built for direct-support staff in care settings; the boundary judgment transfers directly to the para role.
Módulo · NY Justice Center for the Protection of People With Special Needs · ~35 min
Two-page school-specific self-check on professional boundaries: the warning cues of over-involvement and under-involvement ('Would I modify my behavior if a colleague were present?') plus eleven perspective-gaining questions to ask yourself. Written in teacher/student register; the parent DPI toolkit addresses all school staff.
Guía · Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction · ~5 min
Free state-government module on managing professional and personal boundaries with students and families — what appropriate boundaries look like, why they protect both student and para, and how to communicate limits.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~12 min
Free state-government module on what paraeducators can and cannot be asked to do, advocating professionally when assigned outside your scope, and maintaining a sustainable workload.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~15 min
CPIR federal overview of the paraeducator role and professional conduct standards — appropriate vs. inappropriate contact with students and families, maintaining boundaries, and protecting student dignity. A plain-language reference for clarifying professional limits. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
Establecer y mantener límites profesionales con los estudiantes, las familias y los colegas, para que el trabajo sea sostenible durante años, y no solo soportable esta semana.
Free interactive on-demand training on setting and holding professional boundaries — the 'zone of helpfulness,' three boundary types, and case scenarios, with a completion certificate. No account needed. Built for direct-support staff in care settings; the boundary judgment is the durable half of sustainable practice for a para.
Módulo · NY Justice Center for the Protection of People With Special Needs · ~35 min
A short list of healthy, sustainable ways to manage ongoing job stress — take breaks from screens and news, protect sleep and movement, set limits, and stay connected to people you trust. These are the recharge habits that make the work sustainable over a long career, not a one-time fix. Supportive, non-clinical self-care framing. Public domain.
Artículo · CDC · ~5 min
Free state-government interactive module on setting and sustaining professional boundaries with students and families — what appropriate limits look like, why they protect both para and student, and how to keep the relationship warm but bounded over a long career.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~12 min
CPIR federal overview of the paraeducator role and professional conduct — appropriate vs. inappropriate contact with students and families, maintaining limits, and protecting student dignity. A plain-language reference for clarifying where the role ends. Public domain.
Guía · Center for Parent Information and Resources (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~20 min
Dar pasos concretos y por iniciativa propia hacia su crecimiento profesional, en lugar de esperar a que aparezcan las oportunidades.
The national career-advancement framework built for education support professionals, with paraeducator as a named career family — eight universal standards (including ethics and professionalism) across foundational, proficient, and advanced-mastery levels, plus ESP-built micro-credentials you can bring to salary and PD conversations. Freely viewable, no membership required.
Guía · National Education Association (ESP) · ~15 min
The Mass DESE hub for all seven free, no-login paraeducator PD modules. As a career-development resource it models self-directed professional learning — voluntarily working through these modules is the advancement-oriented initiative career ownership requires, and builds a transferable professional record.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~180 min
Two-minute official state-agency video explaining Washington's paraeducator certificate career ladder — the named credentials a WA para can work toward and how the tiers build on each other.
Video · Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) — official channel · ~3 min
The federal career profile for the paraeducator role: what the job involves, typical pay, the education most positions expect, and an "Advancement" path into teaching with added coursework and certification. A quick way to see your own role's career landscape and the next rungs to aim for. Public domain.
Artículo · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · ~5 min
Washington's statutory paraeducator career ladder: Fundamental Course of Study (28 hours) → General Certificate (+70 hours) → ELL and Special Education Subject Matter Certificates (20 hours each) → Advanced Paraeducator Certificate (+75 hours) — real, named credential targets with clock-hour requirements a WA para can act on this year.
Guía · Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) · ~9 min
Washington's current para-to-teacher pathways — alternative routes and residency programs where you earn certification while working, the Apprenticeship in Education for classified staff (associate degree earned in-position with a 50% tuition discount), Grow Your Own programs, and CTE routes. Actionable today, from the state agency that runs them.
Guía · Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) · ~10 min
PaTTAN podcast episode following a paraprofessional's path to becoming a certified special-education teacher — a firsthand career-ladder story.
Video · PaTTAN (Pennsylvania Training & Technical Assistance Network) · ~30 min
Three-round, 35-minute protocol for paras taking ownership of professional growth. Round 1 — Career Landscape Map (12 min): participants complete a four-column personal card — current credential held, the next step or credential that matches their goal (using the WA PESB "Paraeducator Certificate Program — Certificate Options" ladder and the NEA "ESP Professional Growth Continuum" to identify real pathway options such as named certificates, para-to-teacher programs, and micro-credentials), one local program or district contact to investigate, and one question to bring to HR or a trusted colleague — countering the failure mode of waiting passively for someone to surface an opportunity (value 1) by replacing vague aspiration with a named credential target. Round 2 — First-Step Plan (12 min): participants draft a one-page personal PD plan with three named sections — a specific goal (a credential or role, not a general aspiration), at least one concrete self-directed learning step they can begin immediately such as the free Mass DESE paraeducator modules ("Massachusetts Paraeducator E-Learning Modules: Professional Development Hub"), and one outside conversation with a named person plus a self-chosen deadline — then exchange plans with a partner and mark whether each plan names a specific goal, a concrete first step, and a deadline or is still a wish rather than a plan, directly countering the failure mode of delegating career planning to a supervising teacher (value 2). Round 3 — Obstacle-to-Action Card (11 min): given four common career-development obstacles — no time, don't know the steps, don't want to seem presumptuous, no district support — participants write one specific counter-move per obstacle: a named program to apply to, a specific free resource to use, or a specific sentence to say, translating "I don't know where to start" into identified first actions rather than reasons to wait.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Manejar su propia reacción después de los días difíciles, asegurándose de que se complete cualquier seguimiento que la escuela necesite.
- EsencialVoices from the Field: The Importance of Trauma-Informed Practices (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
REL West video — two trauma and resilience experts discuss why trauma-informed practices matter for school staff as well as students, including staff recovery and building a resilient school culture after hard incidents.
Video · REL West / Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~7 min
A two-page tip sheet for the days and weeks after a hard incident: the common stress reactions to expect, concrete ways to steady yourself (keep a routine, rest, talk it through, limit replaying it), and the signs that mean it's time to reach for more help. Use it to recognize your own reactions and take healthy next steps. Public domain.
Guía · CDC (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control) · ~5 min
NCTSN resources on post-incident recovery for school personnel — cognitive-behavioral strategies, reflective supervision, caseload adjustment after a crisis, and when to use Employee Assistance Programs.
Guía · National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) · ~12 min
Free NCTSN/SAMHSA scenario-based interactive course in recognizing and responding to trauma-related distress. For post-incident recovery it builds the active skill of steadying yourself and others after a hard event, and addresses helper stress directly. Free account required at learn.nctsn.org.
Actividad · National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN / SAMHSA / U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services) · ~300 min
Tratar el hacer preguntas como parte de hacer bien el trabajo —averiguar a quién reporta realmente, anotar sus preguntas reales y plantear de inmediato cualquier cosa fuera de su capacitación, en lugar de adivinar o esperar.
- EsencialParaeducator Mission & Mindset (Mass DESE Paraeducator Module) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Free, no-login interactive state-DOE module built for paraeducators on the core of surviving a hard new assignment: understanding your role, building a strong working partnership with your supervising teacher, and onboarding into a placement — the who-do-I-report-to and what-is-okay-to-ask groundwork this skill turns on.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~35 min
A plain-language overview of what paraprofessionals typically do and — under 'Legally speaking' — why your tasks must be ones you are trained and supervised to do, plus concrete ways to find your own state's and district's rules for paras. Use it to recognize where the edges of your role are, so you know what is okay to ask about and who sets the boundary, early in a hard new assignment.
Artículo · Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR), OSEP-funded (#H328R230009) · ~8 min
Washington's state standards of practice for paraeducators — supporting instruction, professionalism and ethics, a safe environment, and communicating and participating in the team process — laid out as the skill areas a para is expected to grow into. Skim it to identify which parts of the job are yours to ask about and clarify with the person who supervises you, instead of quietly guessing.
Guía · Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) · ~8 min
The protocol builds the three moves that keep a hard new placement from silently going sideways: identifying what you actually do not know, finding exactly who to bring it to, and sorting which questions can wait for the list versus which cannot. In Round 1 (Question Inventory, ~12 min), participants work through a scenario of a para three weeks into a challenging placement — unfamiliar student needs, unclear routines, a busy supervising teacher — and write down every question they would genuinely have, targeting at least eight: who to call if the student has a medical event, where the behavior plan is, what to do when the schedule changes without warning, whether a particular physical task is part of the role. Once the list is full, participants sort each item into three buckets: routine (can wait for a scheduled check-in), surface-by-end-of-day, and untrained-task (cannot absorb without explicit training first). The sort is the load-bearing step, because not all questions are equal and treating them as a single list is what causes the most dangerous confusions to stay buried. Round 2 (Supervisor Routing Map, ~12 min) addresses the prior question: who gets your list. Participants identify who directly supervises them in this placement, then build a one-page routing map — for each bucket from Round 1, they write the person's name, the time and format (before school, brief written note, end-of-day conversation), and one sentence that opens the exchange without sounding like a complaint ('I want to make sure I am doing this right — can we find ten minutes to go over a few things?'). The plan must include a line for what to do if the supervisor is unavailable so that a missed meeting does not become a reason to keep guessing. Round 3 (Escalation Decision Tree, ~11 min) addresses the hardest failure mode: being asked to do something you have not been trained on. Participants receive five task cards describing things a para might be asked to do in a new placement and walk each through a simple decision tree — trained and supervised? proceed; untrained, non-urgent? add to the supervisor list; untrained and safety-related? pause and surface now, before the student is in front of you. The key rule participants leave with is that an untrained-task question cannot wait for the weekly list, and each card ends with the one sentence a para would say: 'I haven't been trained on that yet — who should I check with before I do it?'
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
A free self-paced module for paraprofessionals whose Unit 4 walks through how to bring questions to the teacher who supervises you, including a 'Conversation Plan' template for writing down what you need to ask before you ask it. It matches the move that keeps a hard new assignment from going sideways: surface your real questions to the right person, on purpose and early.
Módulo · Ohio Partnership for Excellence in Paraprofessional Preparation (OPEPP), Ohio Department of Education and Workforce-funded (free; create a login to enroll and track progress) · ~45 min
A short video featuring paraeducators on the job and the teachers who work alongside them — a quick way to picture how a para and a supervising teacher actually communicate and divide the work in a real classroom. Watch it to see the working relationship you are trying to set up when you find out who you report to and start bringing your questions early.
Video · Montgomery County Public Schools (Maryland), Department of Professional Growth Systems · ~5 min
Receptividad cultural y equidad
6 áreas de habilidad
Afirmar públicamente a los estudiantes multilingües cuando sus compañeros cuestionan el uso de su idioma, y aprovechar sus aportes sin importar en qué idioma los hagan.
- EsencialLeveraging Students' Home Language in Instruction (OELA, 2025) (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Evidence-based guidance on why multilingual students draw on their full linguistic repertoire and how to affirm and leverage home language in content learning — cognate awareness and cross-linguistic connections.
Guía · Office of English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~12 min
REL Pacific video overview of translanguaging — how multilingual students use their full linguistic repertoire to make meaning — with practical implications for adults who want to affirm rather than suppress home-language use.
Video · REL Pacific / Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
One-page federal infographic making the asset case for multilingualism — cognitive, educational, economic, and sociocultural benefits — the stance behind affirming a student's home language instead of treating it as a barrier. A 4-minute read to ground why translanguaging is a strength to build on. Public domain.
Guía · OELA / NCELA — U.S. Dept. of Education · ~4 min
NCELA guidance on building a culturally affirming classroom for ELLs: respecting all cultures, affirming multilingual identities, responding to peer language policing, and using cultural/linguistic backgrounds as assets.
Guía · National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (U.S. Dept. of Education) · ~15 min
Interactive self-paced module for paraeducators on multilingual learners — building relationships that make students feel known and valued, and helping students use their home language as a resource for learning (translanguaging). The active-practice anchor for affirming a student's full linguistic repertoire and building on their contributions, whichever language they come in.
Módulo · Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) · ~25 min
In Round 1 (Silence Audit, ~12 min), participants receive four peer language-policing scenarios and complete a Moment Audit card with three columns: what the multilingual student likely experiences when the moment goes unaddressed, what the silence signals to the rest of the class, and what a public response would need to accomplish — grounded in the REL Pacific translanguaging framework from Multilingualism and Translanguaging in the Classroom, which establishes that students draw on their full linguistic repertoire to make meaning and that affirming rather than suppressing that repertoire is the adult's role; this round directly counters the failure modes of sending both students back to the activity without comment and of pulling the multilingual student aside privately, both of which leave the class's implicit 'English only' message intact. In Round 2 (Public Affirmation Script, ~12 min), participants draft two ready-to-use scripts using the evidence base from Leveraging Students' Home Language in Instruction (OELA): one for a direct language-policing moment and one for building on a translanguaging contribution, with each script required to be delivered in the moment so the whole class hears, to name translanguaging as a cognitive skill rather than a rule violation, and to avoid a private sidebar as a substitute for public reframing. In Round 3 (Contribution Builder, ~11 min), participants return to one scenario from Round 1 and write the instructional follow-through: how they would explicitly build on what the student said — regardless of which language it came in — to demonstrate that the answer was academically valuable; pairs compare drafts and annotate where they moved beyond the affirmation statement into actually using the student's contribution as the next instructional step, reinforcing that public affirmation and academic follow-through together are the target behavior.
Actividad · Paraprofessional Best Practice Library (original) · ~35 min
Asegurarse de que las familias que hablan poco inglés puedan participar de verdad — usando los canales de interpretación y traducción de la escuela en lugar de arreglárselas con gestos o pedirle a un niño que interprete.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) hub for educators and families of English language learners, with guidance on communicating across a language gap and using the school's interpreters.
Guía · Colorín Colorado (AFT / WETA) · ~20 min
Self-paced IRIS Center module on how student characteristics — culture, language, exceptionality, and socioeconomic status — shape learning, and strategies that support diverse students respectfully.
Módulo · IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University · ~90 min
One-page federal infographic on why a student's home language is an asset — a quick reminder that supporting family language access builds on a strength, not a deficit.
Guía · U.S. Dept. of Education (OELA/NCELA) · ~4 min
Notar las suposiciones de déficit sobre un estudiante o una familia — las suyas o las de un colega — y contrastarlas con lo que usted realmente observa antes de actuar en función de ellas o transmitirlas.
Self-paced IRIS Center module on how culture, language, and background shape learning — a check against reading a student or family through a deficit lens.
Módulo · IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University · ~90 min
Short guide to writing what you observed instead of an interpretation — the concrete bias-aware move (describe the behavior, not a label), since vague evaluative words are where bias amplifies.
Artículo · Head Start (U.S. HHS) · ~5 min
Free classroom resources from Learning for Justice (SPLC) on recognizing bias, interrupting deficit narratives, and supporting every student equitably.
Artículo · Learning for Justice (SPLC) · ~15 min
Tratar el idioma del hogar, la cultura y la identidad de un estudiante como fortalezas sobre las cuales construir en el apoyo diario — tendiendo puentes en lugar de corregir, para que lo que el estudiante trae cuente en el salón.
- EsencialColorín Colorado: Celebrating Students' Languages and Cultures (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Colorín Colorado collection on culturally responsive practice — celebrating students' home languages and cultures, welcoming-classroom strategies, and family engagement for multilingual learners.
Guía · Colorín Colorado (AFT / WETA) · ~20 min
One-page federal infographic framing a student's home language and bilingualism as strengths to build on — the core stance of culturally responsive support.
Guía · U.S. Dept. of Education (OELA/NCELA) · ~4 min
Free classroom resources from Learning for Justice (SPLC) on equity, inclusion, and affirming every student's identity in daily practice.
Artículo · Learning for Justice (SPLC) · ~15 min
Honrar la práctica religiosa o cultural de un estudiante —el ayuno, las necesidades alimentarias, la vestimenta, la observancia— respetándola de inmediato y coordinando una alternativa inclusiva con el maestro, en lugar de presionar al estudiante o dejarlo de lado.
Short U.S. Department of Education FAQ. The line that matters for a para: if a school excuses students from class for nonreligious reasons (a doctor's appointment), it must treat a religiously motivated request — fasting, prayer, an observance — the same way.
Artículo · U.S. Department of Education · ~5 min
Learning for Justice (SPLC) resources on honoring students' religious and cultural identities in the classroom, and accommodating practice without singling a student out.
Artículo · Learning for Justice (SPLC) · ~15 min
ADL's K-12 educator hub, including a Calendar of Observances for religious and cultural holidays — useful for anticipating a student's observance (fasting, holidays) and honoring it respectfully.
Guía · Anti-Defamation League (ADL) · ~20 min
Notar un posible patrón de trato desigual —como que el mismo grupo de estudiantes reciba más disciplina por la misma conducta— y plantearlo al equipo con ejemplos específicos y observados, en lugar de actuar por cuenta propia.
Self-paced IRIS Center module on how culture, language, exceptionality, and socioeconomic status shape learning and identification — context for the disproportionality patterns a para may notice.
Módulo · IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University · ~90 min
Short guide to recording specific, observable facts rather than conclusions — the documentation discipline behind raising an equity pattern to the team with concrete examples.
Artículo · Head Start (U.S. HHS) · ~5 min
Learning for Justice (SPLC) resources on recognizing bias and disproportionate discipline — background for noticing an equity pattern and raising it to the team with specifics.
Artículo · Learning for Justice (SPLC) · ~15 min