INCLUSIVE EDUCATION HELPING TEACHER (AUTISM AND DUAL DIAGNOSIS)
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION HELPING TEACHER (AUTISM AND DUAL DIAGNOSIS)
1. DESCRIPTION OF DELIVERY MODEL
The Surrey School District supports and promotes inclusion for all learners in the most enabling environment within their school community.
The Inclusive Education Helping Teacher (Autism and Dual Diagnosis) provides leadership in the promotion of inclusion and provision of services for learners with autism and dual diagnosis (where social, emotional, and behavior needs are a significant factor). The Inclusive Education Helping Teacher (Autism and Dual Diagnosis), in consultation with the Director of Instruction – Student Support or designate, will work with teachers, administrators, and other district personnel and parents/guardians to provide support for learners.
Key responsibilities of the Inclusive Education Helping Teacher (Autism and Dual Diagnosis) include:
a) maintaining a current knowledge base of evidence-based/promising practices in learning and behavioral theory (especially
as it relates to autism and dual diagnosis), Ministry of Education program and services, and early intervention of
programming for children with autism;
b) maintaining current knowledge of issues and trends in autism intervention and research developments in the fields of autism
and dual diagnoses;
c) facilitating and providing district in-service and staff training and development for paraprofessionals, teachers,
principals/vice principals;
d) partnering with and representing the district in relation to various provincial level resources including the Ministries of Health,
Child & Family Development, and Education, as well as Provincial Outreach Programs and other community partners, to
maintain current knowledge of issues, trends, and evidence-based interventions, and promote inclusion for students with
autism spectrum disorder and dual diagnosis;
e) sharing program information with parents/guardians, outside agencies and groups;
f) collaborating with the Classroom Teacher and/or IST and/or Educational Assistants (EA) / Applied Behaviour Analysis Support
Workers (ABA SW) to apply principles of universal design for learning, and to design or implement curricular content
revisions, differentiated instructional strategies/materials, or the environment to facilitate learning;
g) participating as a member of an interdisciplinary problem-solving team, a school-based team, an integrated
case-management team, and at other meetings related to supporting students with Autism and Dual Diagnoses;
h) supporting educational teams when facilitating transitions for students with Autism and Dual Diagnoses;
i) assisting with pre-referral interventions and working closely with school-based teachers, Educational Assistants (EA) / Applied
Behaviour Analysis Support Workers (ABA SW) to plan for and organize support for students with Autism and Dual
Diagnoses;
j) promoting and supporting innovations in evidence-based/promising practices in inclusive education (e.g., student
independence and self-direction, positive behaviour support);
k) communicating with teachers, administrators, other district personnel, and parents/guardians regarding District and
Provincial programs;
l) consulting in the referral and placement process;
m) working as a team with other Helping Teachers;
n) demonstrating, co-teaching, and/or training school-based staff and/or Educational Assistants (EA) / Applied Behaviour
Analysis Support Workers (ABA SW) in strategies that would help a student become more independent within the classroom;
o) teaching students to develop strategies for use in classroom settings (included above);
p) supporting school-based staff with assessment and evaluation including Level B assessments for students.
2. MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE
a) a Master's Degree in Inclusive or inclusive education or a related field, or enrolment in and progress toward the completion of
such a degree with emphasis on the education of students with autism;
b) valid B.C. Teaching Certificate;
c) five years of school-based teaching which includes a minimum of two years' classroom experience and two years in a role
working with students who have diverse abilities or disabilities.
3. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE
a) completed graduate course work in autism, complex behavior, dual diagnosis, and applied behavior analysis;
b) elementary and/or secondary teaching experience;
c) in-depth knowledge of autism and current issues in delivery of services to students with dual diagnosis;
d) in-depth knowledge of dual diagnosis students and the delivery of services to students with dual diagnosis – especially
where there are very significant social, emotional, and behavioral needs;
e) familiarity with psycho educational and medical assessment recommendations and their implication for educational
programming.
4. REPORTING STRUCTURE
The Inclusive Education Helping Teacher is accountable in the execution of the assigned duties to the Director of Instruction, Student Support or designate.
Revised May 2021
