Special Education Field Advisory: Guidelines for Determining a Student with a Disability’s Need for a One-to-One Aide

The New York Statewide Coordinator for Special Education released the guidelines for determining a student with a disability’s need for a one-to-one aide to provide guidance to help Committees on Preschool Special Education (CPSEs) and Committees on Special Education (CSE’s) in determining a student with a disability’s need for a one-to-one aide.

A goal for all students with disabilities is to promote and maximize independence. CPSEs/CSEs are accountable for developing and implementing individualized education programs (IEPs) that endorse such independence. When deciding that a student needs a one-to-one aide, it should always be considered a time-limited recommendation and specific conditions/goals must be established to fade the use of the one-to-one aide.

One-to-one aides may not be used as a substitute for certified, qualified teachers for an individual student or as a substitute for an appropriately developed and implemented behavioral intervention plan or as the primary staff member responsible for implementation of a behavioral intervention plan. While a teaching assistant may assist in related instructional work, primary instruction MUST be provided to the student by a certified teacher(s). A teacher aide may assist in the implementation of a behavioral intervention plan, but may not provide instructional services to a student (http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/career/tavsta.html).

To read more about the considerations for determining if a student needs a one-to-one aide, visit our blog and click here.  To read more about the Roles and Responsibilities of the One-to-One Aide, click here.