Special Needs School or Pubic with 1:1 Aide

[Anonymous]

be aware, too, that there are many, many downsides to 1:1 aides. there is a growing body of research that says ultimately more harmful than helpful.

could you provide information about the growing body of research that supports your statement?

[Anonymous]

My MERLD child has an aide for academics. He can't process quickly enough the instructions, and needs it restated with fewer words and a slower pace, and with more visuals.

The downside of a one-on-one aide tends to be the dependency issue. You want to wean them off this as quickly as is practical so they build up independent work habits and confidence.

[Anonymous]

How old/what grade is your MERLD child with the aide for academics?

[Anonymous]

Article on disadvantage of 1/1 aides

http://www.ehow.com/list_5891146_disadvantages-one_to_one-paraprofessional.html

[Anonymous]

The link is to an article about someone's opinion about the downsides to 1:1 aides. I was hoping for something about the growing body of research (scientific studies, etc) about this issue. The writer doesn't cite any of the research in their article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The link is to an article about someone's opinion about the downsides to 1:1 aides. I was hoping for something about the growing body of research (scientific studies, etc) about this issue. The writer doesn't cite any of the research in their article.

I posted the above link and I'm not the "growing body" poster. I don't have access to that information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The link is to an article about someone's opinion about the downsides to 1:1 aides. I was hoping for something about the growing body of research (scientific studies, etc) about this issue. The writer doesn't cite any of the research in their article.

Do you have access to Medline? Don't be lazy, if you want scientific articles do a search there. There are lots of articles on this subject.

[Anonymous]

P.S. If you are the poster who keeps asking about "scientific articles" with cites about ASD look on Medline and stop asking for those articles on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

The link is to an article about someone's opinion about the downsides to 1:1 aides. I was hoping for something about the growing body of research (scientific studies, etc) about this issue. The writer doesn't cite any of the research in their article.

[Anonymous]

sounds like some PP are very hostile to 1:1 support for students with special needs. Did you have a negative experience with one? I guess I am in the group that believes that any support a child can receive can benefit them. I've seen and experienced the great benefits a child can get from extra support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The link is to an article about someone's opinion about the downsides to 1:1 aides. I was hoping for something about the growing body of research (scientific studies, etc) about this issue. The writer doesn't cite any of the research in their article.

B/c it's an article on the internet not a scientific, peer review research paper. If you want a research paper with cites, do a search on Medline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:sounds like some PP are very hostile to 1:1 support for students with special needs. Did you have a negative experience with one? I guess I am in the group that believes that any support a child can receive can benefit them. I've seen and experienced the great benefits a child can get from extra support.

I have no opinion about 1:1 support. What I do have a problem with is people coming on asking for research paper with cites whenever an issue comes up (especially about anything to do with ASD) where certain posters keep requesting to see research articles with cites. This is a support forum for parents not researchers. If they want articles with cites, they can look it up themselves on Medline, Lexis/Nexus or whatever. None of us have the time or inclination to look up stuff for their edification other than a quick link from google which will always produce general info without cites.

[Anonymous]

be aware, too, that there are many, many downsides to 1:1 aides. there is a growing body of research that says ultimately more harmful than helpful.

This seemed like a pretty strong statement against something that helps many special needs children. Maybe the poster (looking for studies, etc) was looking for something to back up this statement. It would be sad that a statement like this might prevent a child from getting the help they need (because some random person said it was harmful). Often when posters make strong statements such as this, other posters look for them to back up their statements with real proof. Often parents of special needs chiildren don't have a lot of time to do research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- right the aide would only help with behavior, not learning. just figured that out.

A 1/1 aide helps with issues like toileting, seizures, mobility issues (child can't walk without falling), eating and feeding (child can't self-feed), movement in the classroom. A 1/1 aide really can't help your child socialize, can't make your child behave, can't break the social ice for your child, can't stop your child from "wrecking" the classroom, and can't be your child's private tutor.

My Aspie's 1:1 helps with all of those things -- helps him socialize (get over his anxiety enough to join the group), helps him identify when he's getting worked up so he can exit gracefully before he melts down amd "wrecks" the classroom/disrupts other kids, helps him with work that makes him anxious by pulling him to an adjacent room where he can concentrate (he can actually DO the work, but he panics when he sees certain kinds of work that he's convinced he can't do). The aide is a great guy, young, charismatic, so the other kids flock to him and hence my son. He also enables my son to sit out things such as assemblies that he cant handle.

That said, dependency is a worry and when we are ready we will work on fading the aide. A good aide, like ours, also does it on his own. Our son's aide leaves a lot of space when he knoes it's a low stress time and floats around to help other kids, other classrooms, or takes is lunch. It's been a real blessing.

[Anonymous]

OP, it does sound like you should at least contact Auburn or Diener (or Maddux, if he's young) and talk to the admissions person. They're VERY knowledgeable about the subtle differences in these kids and will let you know if they might be a good fit or not.