Paraprofessionals spend all day with students. They connect with them when they are doing well and support them when they are having difficulty engaging in learning. It is essential to talk with and listen to these amazing individuals. As they do the hard work day in and day out, they gather insights about student preferences and behavior that is critical to understanding the student as a whole person. This information should then be considered when designing interventions.

Paraprofessionals can also give helpful feedback about potential strategies and after strategies are implemented. They can tell you whether or not interventions are feasible in a particular setting and share what they have found that works better.

In short, paraprofessionals are the key to effectively and compassionately helping students to achieve their goals.