Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

ADayInOurShoes Village

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.

"Support Person" vs. 1:1 aide

Featured Replies

Our district is requiring staff to use specific language in our child's IEP. When I asked the teacher what the difference was between a "support person" and a 1:1, she said she wasn't sure but that's the direction they were receiving from the central office.  For example, our son has a "support person" written into his IEP for any time he pushes into Gen Ed or attends anything outside of his self-contained classroom, but a classmate specifically has a 1:1. What's the difference? Is this just legal language that allows anyone to fill in as a warm body vs someone trained to help the student?

I don't think you're going to find specific guidance about what the difference is between a support person and a 1:1 aid as those terms are not really defined in federal law. My educated guess is that typically a 1:1 aid is a particular person that is assigned to work with an individual student. A support person could be working with multiple students and may not be the same person all the time. 

Michigan mother of two with IEPs, and owner of MI Student Advocacy Services. Trying to change the world one IEP at a time. 

 

 

 

 

I think I know the (subtle) difference.  A support person helps when needed.  A 1:1 would be by the student's side throughout the school day.  A support person could have other duties or be a 1:2 where they help 2 students at the same time.  1:1 might not have that flexibility.  If your child only needs support in gen ed, they don't need a 1:1 given this perspective.

My district will rotate 1:1 paraprofessionals where the student could have a different person in the afternoon or with a particular class.  Not sure if this is good or bad.  A consistent person would be better able to know the student and anticipate needs or recognise an antecedent and intervene before things go off track.  It might be important if a student has absence seizures which can be hard to spot.  Rotating helpers allows the paraprofessionals to have more breath of experience and learn how to support different disabilities.  Also makes the transition easier if the aide ever misses a day and the child has a sub-aide.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.