Para eLink: Where Minnesota's Paraprofessionals Learn Online

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K9: Understanding the paraprofessional’s role regarding communication with students, students’ families, and the community that supports learning and well-being for student with Other Health Disabilities.

K10: Understanding the paraprofessional’s role within the educational roles and responsibilities of teachers and support personnel in providing educational services to students with OHD.

S4: Demonstrating the understanding to utilize opportunities for students with OHD to participate, interact, and learn with all students.

Facilitator Supplement

Worksheets in this Unit

All worksheets are Adobe pdf files. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view and print the worksheets.

Lesson 1b: Working Effectively with Other Educational Professionals

Concept to Practice

Facilitated Activity

Assist the paraprofessional to identify important school personnel who need to be notified about the student’s concerns, including the school nurse, physical education teacher, and case manager.

Assist the paraprofessional to identify ways to assist the student to advocate for getting his needs met, such as walking with him to the health office to talk with the school nurse, going with him to talk to the physical education teacher about his concerns, helping him find a phone he can use to call his parents, and reminding or helping him implement a episode prevention plan (such as getting out of class five minutes early to use medication prior to going to physical education class).

Encourage the paraprofessional to talk with the school nurse about any questions they have about students with health conditions. (Most school health offices are not staffed with full-time school nurses. Some health offices have health assistants during school hours. However, most schools have access to a school nurse, via pager and phone systems, during school hours. Inform the paraprofessional to verify that the person in the health office he/she is consulting with is the school nurse and not a health assistant. Encourage the paraprofessional to page or call the school nurse if they have questions or concerns regarding a student’s health.)

Discuss any concerns the paraprofessional has regarding his/her role in assisting a student or talking with others about a student’s health related concerns.