What’s your favorite part about what you do?

My favorite part of being a paraprofessional is working with exceptional children. Each individual child presents a unique challenge or opportunity for understanding. You can learn as much from the children as they can from you. Their uniqueness offers a different perspective on the world. It is always a great feeling to see the joy on the children’s faces when they accomplish a task that initially seemed challenging, such as mastering gross motor skills like jumping over a rope.

How has your IBCCES training/credential helped you in your career?

We live in a world where parents of autistic children seek the best professional help for their kids. Now, when parents ask if I am qualified to assist their child, I can confidently answer, ‘Yes, I am.’ When I show them my credentials from IBCCES, I see the pleased look in their eyes, knowing they can trust me to help their little ones. I can use the terms I’ve learned to describe my work with the children to both the parents and my superiors. This has allowed me to enhance my knowledge and skill set.

How do you use/implement what you learned in the IBCCES certification training?

I can implement activities for the children and share information with parents and schools about how to use tools they already have within the classroom or home. Additionally, I use various methods from the training tailored to the individual child based on what works best for them. These methods are applicable to children with different disabilities, such as autism or speech and language disorders. One of my favorite methods to implement is the Miller Method, akin to the Floortime Approach.