This article originally appeared in START Connecting in January 2019. 

When determining the need for paraprofessional support, it is critical to design a plan that focuses on independence since this is a primary goal for all students. A good place to start involves giving paraprofessionals a new title; we suggest calling them Independence Facilitators.  

In the typical classroom situation with a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), paraprofessionals give prompts, corrections, and help when the teacher cannot provide this level of support. However, when assigned 1:1, this can result in students being over-monitored as compared to other students, which increases the likelihood of being over-prompted, over-corrected, or over-helped. This interferes with the development of independence. 

However, a shift in perspective takes place when support staff move from “I am a paraprofessional” to “I am an Independence Facilitator.” In this frame of mind, everyone stays focused on teaching independence in routines, academic work, and social interactions. This also serves as a reminder to use prompting intentionally with a plan to reduce the level of prompting over time because the goal is increased independence. 

What else could an Independence Facilitator do to promote independence when working 1:1 with a student? Instead of verbally prompting, helping, or correcting the student, the paraprofessional needs to model the expected work and behavior of students in the class, while seated alongside the supported student. It is like demonstrating “this is how the work is to be completed.” 

When the student with ASD is engaged, completes work, and follows direction, authentic verbal, and visual reinforcement is given (e.g., “great work,” thumbs up, knuckles). If the student needs help, the adult shows their own work, models how to do the task, or provides a visual prompt of expectations (e.g. points to visual on desk showing “I’m listening”) rather than verbally correcting. Verbal statements are reserved for positive interaction and reinforcement only.

What is the advantage of this approach? Research shows that most students benefit from a ratio of five positively reinforced behaviors for every one correction (5:1). When students are over-prompted and over-corrected, the ratio is reversed (1:5), and the prompts, redirections, and help (especially verbal and physical assistance) may feel not only unpleasant but aversive. This results in challenging behavior for the purpose of escaping from the adult or the classroom. 

When Independence Facilitators use Modeling for 5:1, they are keeping a strong positive to corrective ratio. This can increase engagement and decrease escape motivated behavior, while also promoting independence. 

As students with ASD learn to observe the Independence Facilitator modeling expected behavior, they will also learn to observe peers. What will peers model? Often, what they observe in adults. An Independence Facilitator is not only modeling for students with ASD, but they also model for peers by demonstrating how positive interaction and support should work with a student with ASD. By demonstrating 5:1 positive to corrective interactions, reserving verbal interaction for positive engagement, and modeling expected behavior, everyone on the team, staff and students, are all working toward the same goal of promoting independence. 

Read "Are Paraprofessional Supports Helpful?" by Michael Giangreco, Ph.D. and Betsy Hoza, Ph.D. to learn more about this topic. 

START Connecting Homepage