Increasing the Independence of Students with Disabilities in the Classroom Through Indirect Paraprofessional Support

Paraprofessionals are a crucial component of special education services and can be vital to promoting inclusive learning opportunities. Although intentions behind utilizing paraprofessional support may be good, students with disabilities may become over-reliant on paraprofessionals, thus limiting student independence in the classroom. This paper intends to shift the traditional paradigm to focus on increasing student independence through indirect paraprofessional supports. Practical recommendations for fading paraprofessional support to promote student independence are included.