Special Education Teaching Assistant Mod/Severe Autism

The Creekside School strives to create an engaging, challenging, and rewarding work environment that allows all employees to flourish professionally and personally. We want every employee to be a happy and productive team member and have a long and successful association with the School. Our organization continues to grow and thrive through our staff's dedication, input, creativity, perseverance, and effort. The Creekside School is a learning organization committed to excellence.

Position/Job Title:Teaching Assistant (TA) Classification: Program Non-Exempt Position Type: Full-Time Reporting Structure/Supervision: Reports to the Special Education Teacher and Principal.

Indirectly supervised by Related Services providers.

The Teaching Assistant will work under the supervision of the Special Educator and Related Services Providers to implement individual student education and behavior plans for the purpose of the students’ educational, behavioral, and social-emotional growth.

Job Objective/Purpose

▪ Assist the Special Educator in providing an exemplary Special Education program to assigned students and establish a schoolwide environment that fosters learning and development.

▪ Work collaboratively with the Special Educator, Related Services Providers and classroom team to maintain a safe, positive, and supportive learning environment for staff and students.

▪ Assist in implementing an educational program that allows students to meet IEP goals and developmental milestones and facilitate the development of: self-regulation, the ability to sustain engagement, positive attitudes and a sense of self, healthy social relationships, increasing levels of independence, and emotional well-being.

▪ Ensure a clean, organized, effective classroom environment, regularly collaborating with the Special Educator and other staff members to create and maintain this. Help to keep the school environment and facilities healthy, clean, and organized.

▪ Be active in maintaining the efficacy and integrity of the organization within the goals/philosophy of the organization; strive to maintain the philosophy and mission of the program to the highest capacity.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the Special Educator and Related Services provides, implementIndividual Education Plans (IEPs), lesson plans, and Related Services plans

▪ Follow IEP recommendations, Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP), sensory integration plans, communication plans, and other individual student plans consistently and with fidelity.

▪ Take excellent and accurate data on all IEP goals and educational programs throughout the day and input all data and notes accurately and in a timely manner.

▪ Create individual student and classroom materials as needed.

▪ Support students in off-site community education while maintaining a high level of responsibility and safety for all students and staff.

▪ Transport students to community locations in TCS vehicles while adhering to all safety and traffic laws and maintaining a good driving record

▪ Complete daily responsibilities as assigned by the Special Educator/classroom team, ensure the classroom is ready for the next day, ensure materials/activities are set up prior to student arrival, minimizing wait time.

Support the social-emotional development, health and well being of students at all times▪ Utilize developmentally based, researched supported techniques and therapies such as The Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based (DIR®/Floortime™)Model and Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI)

▪ Support students using least restrictive prompts and scaffolds so as to maximize independent skill development.

▪ Continually work to build a positive relationship and rapport with each assigned student by engaging in child led activities with the student, pairing with student preferred activities and items, and striving to establish a developmentally appropriate relationship where meaningful back and forth social interaction may occur.

▪ Utilize restrictive practices such as restraint, seclusion, escape extinction, and planned punishment only as a last resort or as part of an IEP team approved, data driven, and supervised intervention.

Serve as an active member of a collaborative team environment to support the overall mission of TCS

▪ Contribute to the development of IEPs and related services plans by collecting accurate data, giving detailed observation reports, and participating in student discussions.

▪ Participate in all staff meetings, trainings, and professional development days▪ Communicate effectively and respectfully with all parents, care providers, students, other staff members, administrative staff, the board of directors, colleagues, district officials, and community members.

▪ Help to maintain school-wide and classroom supplies and equipment including curriculum supplies, computers, walkies and all other electronic equipment, assuring their organization, availability, cleanliness, and working order.

Cooperate with all employee protocols and school policies

▪ Maintain the confidentiality of all students and families

▪ Work with the Principal, Teacher and Related Services to ensure the school program/classroom is adhering to all laws, regulations, and standards set forth by theCalifornia Department of Education.

Qualifications:

▪ High School Diploma

▪ Preferred: Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Psychology or related field

Experience:

▪ At least 1 year experience as an Instructional Assistant, Teaching Assistant or Paraprofessional in a classroom/school/clinical/therapeutic setting implementing an educational and/or therapeutic program.

▪ At least 1 year experience working with those on the autism spectrum and/or working with students who are moderate to severely affected by a developmental disability in a professional setting.

Skills and Competencies/Knowledge:

▪ At least a preliminary understanding of typical and atypical development of children, a variety of behavioral strategies/theories, how to work with those severe sensory and communicative challenges, and the unique and individual learning styles of those with developmental disabilities.

▪ Basic understanding of Special Education and/or clinical programs for students with autism.

▪ Be open to learning about and implementing new approaches used with children who have special needs through training, coaching sessions, and conferences; be able to transfer new learning into practice.

Skills, and Abilities:

▪ Proficient in Google Suite/Workspace.

▪ Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

▪ Exemplary organizational skills and efficiency in completing tasks as assigned.

▪ Strong problem-solving skills with a solutions-focused approach to any issues as they arise (with students, staff, parents, community members, ets.). The ability to anticipate and resolve problems while keeping the Special Educator and other classroom staff informed about such decisions.

Additional:

▪ Maintain calm and professional demeanor when dealing with difficult or emotional situations.

▪ Ability to work collaboratively with a team of professionals to best serve the needs of the students we serve.

▪ Be self-reflective and objective for the ultimate benefit of the students and school program, give and take feedback in a positive and supportive way.

▪ Must consistently demonstrate the ability to be a self-initiator, creative and flexible to meet the needs of the organization and the individual learning styles of the children.

▪ Good judgment, tact, and ability to maintain the highest level of professionalism as a representative of the organization.

▪ Be energetic and able to demonstrate appropriate and genuine affect when working with the students.

Physical Requirements: If applicable, working and playing with students at The Creekside School requires a considerable amount of strength and physical movement.

Employees must be able to perform the following physical movement functions as needed: Regularly

▪ Sitting - Resting position in which the body weight is supported primarily by the buttocks in contact with the ground or a horizontal object such as a chair seat.

▪ EXERT- up to 20 lbs. of force to move objects, equipment, and to work/play with students.

▪ MOTOR SKILLS - Picking, pinching, or otherwise working primarily with fingers as in handling, typing, or writing.

▪ STANDING - Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time.

▪ WALKING/RUNNING - Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances for community outings or moving from one classroom/office to another.Running is required for potential emergency situations.

▪ REACHING - extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

▪ EXERT - up to 40 lbs. of force to move objects, equipment, and to work/play with students.

▪ HANDLING - Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with hand or hands.Occasionally

▪ LIFTING - Up to 25 pounds. Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to-position.

▪ EXERT - up to 80 lbs. of force to move objects, equipment, and to work/play with students.

▪ CLIMBING - Ascending or descending stairs, ramps, or hills using feet and legs

▪ BALANCING - Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling

▪ STOOPING - Bending body downward and forward.

▪ KNEELING - Bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees.

▪ CROUCHING - Bending body downward and for-ward by bending legs and spine.

▪ CRAWLING - Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.

▪ PUSHING - Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.

▪ PULLING - Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.

Important: A Creekside School student may exhibit behaviors such as aggression (e.g. biting, kicking, hitting), property destruction, self-injurious behavior, screaming, etc. Due to the potential safety risk for staff and students associated with working with those who may engage in behaviors of concern, all staff are required to be certified by the Crisis PreventionInstitute® (CPI) to handle potentially dangerous situations and work to prevent crisis situations and/or hazards associated with those who engage in behaviors that pose a safety risk. Staff will not be allowed to perform Nonviolent Physical Crisis Intervention℠ or any type of physical management unless they have received the initial CPI training/certification through The Creekside School.

The CPI program is a safe, non-harmful behavior management system designed to aid staff members in maintaining the best possible Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security℠ for agitated or out-of-control individuals even during their most violent moments.

In the event that a student requires physical management because he/she poses a serious, imminent safety risk to him/herself and/or others, Nonviolent Physical Crisis Intervention℠ will be used as a last resort. This involves the use of safe, non-harmful control and restraint positions to safely control an individual until he/she can regain control of his/her behavior.

Terms of EmploymentEmployment at The Creekside School is based on mutual consent, and both the employee and The Creekside School have the right to terminate employment “at-will”, with or without cause or advance notice.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $24-27/hr

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:

• Autism and/or Special Education: 2 years (Required)

Work Location: In person

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $24.00 - $27.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental Insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Physical setting:

• Private school
• School
• Special education school

Schedule:

• 8-hour shift
• Monday to Friday
• No nights
• No weekends

Work Location: In person

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $25.00 - $28.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Bereavement leave
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Grade school specialties:

• Elementary school
• High school
• Middle school

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• No nights
• No weekends

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Working with people with autism: 2 years (Required)
• Special education: 2 years (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• San Jose, CA 95123: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person