Personal Care Assistant

POSITION: Personal Care Assistant

REPORTS TO:      Principal

SALARY GRADE:  56-TA

NATURE OF WORK: Employees in this position assist a certified teacher in the instruction and supervision of an assigned individual student with special needs as prescribed by an IEP team or school administration. The emphasis of the position is on providing direct individual and/or physical care assistance on a one to one basis to a student with special needs. Employees in this classification receive direct to general supervision from a certified teacher within a well-defined framework of policies and procedures. Supervision of the student is unceasing during the day. The employee may eat lunch with the student and carry on a habit training program in etiquette, hygiene, manners and development of skill in using eating utensils. Some positions in this class may work with a student with significant mental and physical demands on developing simple craft and vocational skills. A wide variety of tasks are performed to support the teacher in the teaching-learning process for students. The work is performed under the supervision of the teacher and principal.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF WORK:

• Academic Assistance
• Required to lift and/or move children, some in wheelchairs and diapers
• Provides individualized instruction under the direction of a teacher
• Demonstrates various instructional activities
• Monitors work assigned by teacher
• Checks and corrects students' work while in progress
• Keeps students on task
• Praises and reinforces achievement of students
• Reports student progress to teacher
• Instructional Preparation/Support
• Arranges classroom furnishings and equipment.
• Prepares visual aids
• Duplicates materials
• Reorganizes materials at the end of day
• Serves as proctor during testing
• Attends workshops
• Scores students' papers as instructed by teacher
• Distributes and collects instructional materials
• Report and Records
• Records student behavior
• Monitoring Student Behavior
• Supervises students in the classroom and other locations
• Creates and distributes awards for positive behavior
• Promotes student self esteem
• Teaches citizenship, social skills and respect for others
• Reconciles minor student conflicts
• Enforces the district and school discipline policy
• Disciplines misbehavior through approved methods
• Reports discipline problems to teacher or principal
• Reports to supervisor significant change or lack of change in student behavior.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Additional Duties may be assigned.

• Working knowledge of effective methods of dealing with children.
• Working knowledge of the core subjects at the grade level to which employment assignment is made.
• Some knowledge of the school organization and its community.
• Some knowledge of expected behavior of children, that is, basic characteristics of ages and stages.
• Skill necessary to operate audiovisual equipment and common office machines.
• Skill to make learning aids which will strengthen lesson plans.
• Ability to comprehend the purpose of teacher designed strategies as a fulfillment of the instructional objective.
• Ability to discern significant student behavior and refer this to the supervisor.
• Ability to impart information to the child's level of comprehension.
• Ability to apply impartially and consistently proper methods of recognition, reward and punishment.
• Ability to solve independently most minor problems.
• Ability to follow minimally detailed written and oral instructions without constant supervision.
• Ability to record and store data accurately.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of student information
• Performs such routine tasks as diaper changing, toileting, lifting children from one place to another, arranging furniture and supplies.
• Feeds children in conjunction with assisting them to hold a cup, swallow, chew, tolerate various textures, identify foods, reach and grasp, feed themselves and/or provide tube feeding.
• Positions and repositions children to stimulate development or relieve or prevent improper pressure.
• Learns the behavior characteristics of each child in the classroom to which assigned including allergies, seizures and medication needs.
• Protects the safety of others in the group.
• Assists children in personal grooming including occasional bathing and/or shampooing.
• Supervises toilet area.
• Assists children with toileting and cleaning after toilet accidents.
• Assists children in achieving coordination in physical education activities.
• Helps children learn coordination and social skills.
• Escorts assigned student outside a classroom situation; ensuring student's safety, social integration and security
• Positions in conjunction with teachers and occasional resource specialists, such as speech specialists or physical therapists to teach children to become as independent as possible by teaching them to perform such activities a sitting, communicating, eating, walking, manipulating objects and moving around independently in their environment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals consistent with the duties of this position
• Ability to compose and write routine reports consistent with the duties of this position
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from administrators, staff and the general public consistent with the duties of this position

REASONING ABILITY:

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists consistent with the duties of this position
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form consistent with the duties of this position
• Ability to interpret problems related to students with significant needs of children; personal hygiene practices and procedures; safety practices and procedures.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to walk and use fingers, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand and reach with hands and arms. Specific visual abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and depth perception. The employee may lift up to approximately 200 lbs in order to lift, position and change students.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. The employee continuously interacts with the public and staff. The employee is exposed to various body fluids due to the medical and physical needs of the students.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• 2 or 4 year degree in any area/OR
• Completion of 96 Community College/University contact hours and an acceptable score on college placement test in reading, writing and math.

This specification has been designated to represent the general nature and level of work found in positions in this class. As such, it is not intended to contain all of the duties and qualifications required of an employee in a single position (job). Consequently, it is not to be perceived as a position (job) description or as identification of essential functions as required by ADA.

EVALUATION:

Performance in this position will be evaluated regularly by the supervisor in accordance with Board Policy.