Training received by paraprofessionals working with students with autism spectrum disorder in schools: A survey

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) require evidenced-based methods of instruction to ensure optimum outcomes. Therefore, the classroom duties of paraprofessional who work with students with ASD increasingly focus on providing such instruction. It is important that paraprofessionals working with these students receive appropriate training to support this specialized instruction. A survey was conducted to investigate job duties, amount and aspects of training received by classroom paraprofessionals. Results indicated job duties include use of evidenced-based methods. Training received in these strategies predominately covers behavioral topics, while training topics specific to communication and social skills are relatively sparse. In terms of quality, lower numbers of paraprofessionals receive high quality training as defined by the literature. Limitations of the survey and future research are reviewed