Does your child or their classroom have an aid?

[egoldber]

My older DD's 4th grade classroom just got an aid about 4 weeks ago. It has made a huge, huge difference for her and for a few other kids. She is in a traditional 4th grade classroom, but it is a full time gifted classroom and there happen to be at least 4-5 children with mild special needs (including her) of various types. I happen to know that there are children with diagnosed ADHD and anxiety and I think one child may have HFA, but I do not know that.

I know it is pretty unusual for an upper grade classroom to have an aid, even when there are mild special needs. I don't know how this process was started, I was just told a few weeks ago (when older DD was having some pretty severe classroom issues) that her classroom would be getting an aid.

So I am wondering if anyone has any insight into how this process works? I would like to lobby for her class to have an aid again next year. I do not think that DD needs a 1 on 1 aid, but she certainly benefits from having an aid available. It just diffuses the tension in the classroom because the aid can deal with / coach on behavior issues, leaving the classroom teacher free to continue teaching.

Also, if your child is older, do they find the aid stigmatizing? My DD tells me she does not like the aid "because she helps kids who are different and that means I am different". So she is starting to process that she is different in ways from her neurotypical peers. She is also at the age where she wants to minimize differences from her peers, so being helped in this way is very hard for her.

Any thoughts or experiences are appreciated.

[Neatfreak]

At my daughter's school, all classes (pre-K to Gr. 6) have a full-time TA.

[plusbellelavie]

My DD in 4th Grade has a aide that comes in but she rotates among the three 4th Grade classes in the school. She allows the teacher to give more attention to either the students with special needs or children like my daugther who are advanced in class.

From my understanding there is such an aide for every grade K-5th Grade in my DD school.

[Gena]

Originally Posted by egoldber

I know it is pretty unusual for an upper grade classroom to have an aid, even when there are mild special needs. I don't know how this process was started, I was just told a few weeks ago (when older DD was having some pretty severe classroom issues) that her classroom would be getting an aid.

So I am wondering if anyone has any insight into how this process works? I would like to lobby for her class to have an aid again next year.

The aide may be included on another child's IEP. My son has an aide when he is in the typical classroom (he's partially mainstreamed). The aide is listed on my son's IEP as a resource/support for the teacher, so if/when my son reaches the point where he no longer needs the aide 1:1, the aide can remain in the classroom as general support for the teacher.

My DS is still rather young (1st grade), so he does not find his aid or his other supports, accommodations, or services stigmatizing. He has noticed that other kids don't have these things. He is just starting to realize that he is different from other kids. He is curious about these differences, but not upset by them at this point.

Part of it has to do with school culture too. These types of aides are not unusual in our school. Our school has a higher than average special needs population (because only a couple of schools in the district have special education services) and is also a Title I school AND has a gifted program. So all the students kids are used to classrooms with aides, classmates leaving for pull-out therapy or enrichment, and other specialized services. There is a lot of emphasis on students having different needs and abilites.

[egoldber]

Gena, thanks for feedback about your DS's situation. I have wondered if another child had an aid written into an IEP and we are simply benefiting from that. At the recent meeting I had with the teachers about DD they simply said "our class will be getting an aid" although of course they would not share if that was because of someone's IEP. It is interesting that his IEP specifically says that the aid can be shared if the need is not 1-1. I wonder if I can use some language like that to request an aid for her next year.

Our school actually does have a significant special needs population. In addition to being a base school they have a gifted center and they are also a center for a specific health/medical condition and that aspect of the school and the theme of people with differences is one that is definitely emphasized throughout the school.

But it is not the norm in our district (at least at the 2 schools we have been in) for classrooms above K to have a full time aid. If a class has a significant ESL popolation, then an ESL teacher will spend at least part of the day in a classroom and at times that functions like an aid.

DD told me that the aid works with only certain students, her and 2 others. I do know that there are more students with diagnoses than that in her classroom, but she says the aid only works with 3 people. I do not know if this is true, if this is her perception or if someone told her this.

[mytwosons]

Originally Posted by egoldber

DD told me that the aid works with only certain students, her and 2 others. I do know that there are more students with diagnoses than that in her classroom, but she says the aid only works with 3 people. I do not know if this is true, if this is her perception or if someone told her this.

My guess is the aid is part of another child's IEP. If an aid was assigned to your daughter, I'm pretty sure the school would tell you.

When DS1 was entering mainstream K, they didn't feel he would need an aid, but we really pushed for one because we were told it would be harder to get one later should the need arise. Another child had an aid in their IEP. The aid in that classroom ended up working with other kids and never really worked with my DS or the other boy. In her case, she had to spend a lot of time with two other children, but she did help out with the entire class and assisted the teacher.

I'm going to guess that is what you are seeing. A child had an aid added to their IEP (most folks just finished their IEPs), but the teacher has indicated to the aid some other kids who could use assistance.

[HIU8]

This is why DS isn't going to our public school. K has no aide. Other grades do (it's random though). Our neighborhood school has a cued speech (deaf and hard of hearing and a vision program). Those children are integrated in and aides are in every single class (except K for some reason). I was told these aides will help all the children, but they are there specifically for the deaf and visually impaired children so they come first. There is also a program for kids with emotional disabilities, but I believe they are separated out for part of the day and no aide is with them when they join the larger class (at least not just for them).

[egoldber]

If an aid was assigned to your daughter, I'm pretty sure the school would tell you.

No, sorry, I know she is not assigned to my DD.

We had a 504 update meeting about 4 weeks ago, precipitated by some behavioral issues DD was having in the classroom. As part of that meeting, they said, "Our classroom will be getting an aide and that should help things out a lot". One of the issues was that DD was having emotional outbursts that were disruptive, the teachers could not calm her down and they could not leave the classroom. So they were having to call the counselor or the office to come and get her.

We have since resolved what we think was causing the emotional outburtsts (a medication reaction) but the teachers have said that having the aide is very helpful to them and DD because they are able to head off many issues before they get to be larger issues. The aide can work with DD (or other kids) and the teacher can continue to teach.

DD mentioned the aide one day and I asked DD how she liked having the aide in the classroom. Her response was that she did not like her. I asked why and that is when she said, "Because she only helps kids that are different." I asked her didn't she help a lot of kids (because I had assumed she was there for general classroom support) and she said no, that she only worked with 3 kids, herself and 2 others that she mentioned by name. That may or may not be accurate, but it is what she perceives or was told.

I guess my question is I would like to try and make sure that DD's classroom has an aide next year as well. I had assumed that her needs were nowhere near severe enough that an aide was even possible. Now I am wondering what I can do to help make that happen next year. She does not need a 1-1 aide, but a shared aide is obviously a resource that could be extremely helpful.

And I am also wondering how parents with older kids have worked with their kids to cope when they perceive this as a stigma.

[mytwosons]

Originally Posted by egoldber

No, sorry, I know she is not assigned to my DD.

We had a 504 update meeting about 4 weeks ago, precipitated by some behavioral issues DD was having in the classroom. As part of that meeting, they said, "Our classroom will be getting an aide and that should help things out a lot". One of the issues was that DD was having emotional outbursts that were disruptive, the teachers could not calm her down and they could not leave the classroom. So they were having to call the counselor or the office to come and get her.

We have since resolved what we think was causing the emotional outburtsts (a medication reaction) but the teachers have said that having the aide is very helpful to them and DD because they are able to head off many issues before they get to be larger issues. The aide can work with DD (or other kids) and the teacher can continue to teach.

DD mentioned the aide one day and I asked DD how she liked having the aide in the classroom. Her response was that she did not like her. I asked why and that is when she said, "Because she only helps kids that are different." I asked her didn't she help a lot of kids (because I had assumed she was there for general classroom support) and she said no, that she only worked with 3 kids, herself and 2 others that she mentioned by name. That may or may not be accurate, but it is what she perceives or was told.

I guess my question is I would like to try and make sure that DD's classroom has an aide next year as well. I had assumed that her needs were nowhere near severe enough that an aide was even possible. Now I am wondering what I can do to help make that happen next year. She does not need a 1-1 aide, but a shared aide is obviously a resource that could be extremely helpful.

And I am also wondering how parents with older kids have worked with their kids to cope when they perceive this as a stigma.

IMO, the school has made it pretty easy for you to get an aid. They told you her behavior was disruptive and the teacher couldn't take her out of the classroom as needed. Teaching was disrupted. They said an aid in the room should be helpful and then confirmed it was helpful. My son only had an IEP, not 504, so I don't know if you would need to move to an IEP in order to get an aid. But, I would simply call a team meeting and request a classroom aid for next year. If they balk, you remind them of the things I listed above.

DS1 hasn't had an IEP or aid since K, so I'm not so sure about the stigma in older grades. The really good aids I've seen have helped many of the kids in the class and have often been more of a teacher's aid than para pro when things were running smoothly. In those cases, it can be pretty hard to distinguish who the aid is actually for. When you meet to request a room aid, I would bring this up and see if they have any ideas.

[vludmilla]

Originally Posted by egoldber

I guess my question is I would like to try and make sure that DD's classroom has an aide next year as well. I had assumed that her needs were nowhere near severe enough that an aide was even possible. Now I am wondering what I can do to help make that happen next year. She does not need a 1-1 aide, but a shared aide is obviously a resource that could be extremely helpful.

I think it would be extremely unlikely that you could get an aide for your DD with a 504 plan. 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1 aides are services that get put on an IEP. Would you want to consider an IEP?