Qualifications:

• Eligible to be approved to drive state vehicles.
• Familiar with Braille and Nemeth code.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Sign language skills equivalent to a Signed Communication Proficiency Inventory (SCPI) level of intermediate to advanced.

 

Education/Certification:

• Completion of a 2-year program of studies in the area of intervener for Deafblind.
• Certification as an intervener by the National Intervener Credentialing Program or the National Intervener Certification E-Portfolio.
• Must have sufficient physical strength to assist in lifting and/or transferring students up to adult age.
• Ability to communicate, receptively and expressively, through both sign language and oral speech, with ASL fluent and non-signing staff and students.
• Good writing and data collection skills.
• Proficient to fluent in sign language.

 

Essential Job Functions:

• Provide direct support to a student who is Deafblind during all or part of a school day as part of an educational team, and as indicated in the student’s IEP.
• Follows the student’s IEP and the modifications and instructional techniques recommended by related service staff.
• Facilitates access to the environmental information that is usually gained through vision and hearing, but which is unavailable or incomplete to the child who is Deafblind.
• Facilitates the development and/or use of receptive and expressive communication skills.
• Develops and maintains a trusting, interactive relationship that can promote social and emotional well-being for the child who is Deafblind.
• Becomes proficient in students’ individual communication methods and strategies; Provides assistance to students in the use of sign language or other non-verbal forms of communication.
• Creates instructional materials as needed.
• Accompanies and supports the student during community-based instruction.
• Help the teacher as needed to maintain communication between home and school (E.g., keeps a daily log of information about the student and his/her activities).
• Participates in site-based, regional, and statewide training for Deafblind education as needed.
• Collaborates in a team model; Cooperates with other staff in implementing the instructional program for assigned students.
• Works in close physical proximity to students while frequently using touch to communicate with and instruct students who are primarily tactile learners.
• Demonstrates frustration tolerance, emotional maturity, stability, and ability to perform under stress.
• Shows ability to exercise good judgment, cooperation, tact, and discretion in dealing with the student, family, and others.
• Shows interest in developing additional knowledge and skills.
• Follows team decisions, established policies and procedures, and designated lines of communication and authority.
• Maintains familiarity with health and instructional information regarding assigned students, and adheres to those specifications when implementing programming.
• Informs teacher of all significant events or changes related to students in the classroom.
• Monitors, implements effective programming for, and documents student behavior in a prompt manner as required by the teacher.
• Participates in professional growth and development, including participating in all assigned in-service training.
• Monitors the safety of students.
• Assist the teacher with some of the more routine classroom duties including: overall teacher assistance, material development, classroom support, maintaining a clean and orderly classroom, participation in meetings and being an active member of the school’s educational team.
• Attends work regularly in accordance with TSBVI leave policy and procedure.
• Complies with all agency policies, procedures and handbooks.
• Performs related work as assigned.

 

Other

1. Maintain confidentiality.

2. Follow established policies and procedures, and designated lines of communication.

 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None.

 

Equipment Used:

• Utilize assistive technology materials/devices as required for the student

 

Working Conditions:

             Mental Demands/Physical Demands/Environmental Factors:

Repetitive hand motion. Maintain emotional control under stress. Moderate stooping, bending, and lifting.