2025 Summer Inclusion Leadership Conference

At various times students with disabilities may require adult support to access instruction, resulting in assignment of paraprofessionals. Research has shown paraprofessionals often assume too much responsibility for the student, become overprotective, inadvertently interfere with the student’s social interactions, and are sometimes viewed by parents and educators as the student’s primary teacher. Therefore, it is important to view use of a paraprofessional as a temporary measure, with plans established to fade support as much and as soon as possible to encourage independence. While a small number of published guidelines exist for determining the need for a paraprofessional, in the absence of widely accepted decision-making tools, schools are left to develop their own practices. This session is designed to provide participants with tips for doing so, as well as give access to tools that can be adapted for their own use.

This session brings abstract policy into tangible practice using film, photos, and real-life examples. Participants will enhance their capacity to leverage placement + supplementary aids and services to achieve the promise of IDEA: a sense of belonging and participation by students with disabilities, in the classes and school they would attend if they did not have a disability. Practical and usable resources, tools, and guides included! 

We will explore two key inclusive practices: 1) a new lens for examining and designing student supports aligned with inclusive education, and 2) easy-to-use methods for intensifying instruction in general education to reduce the burdens of pull-out intervention. Participants will practice with real-life examples to determine if the supports used are universal, aligned, alternate, or restrictive. Participants will be introduced to five methods for intensifying and embedding instruction in Tier 1 by leveraging EMMET: Educators, Methods, Materials, Environment, and Time. Practical and usable resources, tools, and guides included!