Supporting Students with Disabilities at the Job Site: Task Analysis, Authentic Assessment, and Inclusive Practices

Sonya Durham, Career Support Specialist, ACE-IT In College

Your Role as a Paraprofessional

As a paraprofessional, you play a critical role in helping students succeed in community-based work experiences. You are often the bridge between the student, the workplace, and their learning goals.

 

Foundational Tools for Job-Site Training

• Task Analysis
• Authentic Assessment
• Inclusive Evaluation

 

Using Task Analysis (TA) on the Job Site

What it? Task Analysis

Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, manageable steps to ensure students can complete them successfully.

 

Why it matters for Paraprofessionals:

• Helps students understand what’s expected
• Makes learning new tasks less overwhelming
• Provides a way to measure progress step-by-step

 

Examples for you to support:

If a student is stocking shelves:

1. Gather items from the back room
2. Check shelf labels
3. Organize and place items neatly

 

As a paraprofessional, you can model, prompt, and reinforce each step.

 

Authentic Assessment in Action

What it? Authentic Assessment

Evaluating student performance by watching them do real tasks in real work environments

 

How you can use it

• Take notes while students work
• Ask supervisors for feedback
• Encourage students to reflect on what went well

 

What to observe:

• Task completion
• How students handle feedback
• Their problem-solving and independence

 

 

Behavioral Skills to Support

These soft skills are just as important as job skills:

• Reliability: Is the student on time and consistent?
• Adaptability: Can they shift tasks calmly when things change?
• Initiative: Do they wait to be told what to do, or take action?
• Attention to Detail: Are they completing tasks carefully?

 

As a paraprofessional: Prompt, model, and positively reinforce these

behaviors in real time.

 

Supporting Interpersonal Growth

You help students build relationships at work. Observe and coach on:

• Communication: Clear expression and active listening
• Teamwork: Sharing tasks and ideas respectfully
• Respect: Honoring others' roles and space
• Conflict resolution: Staying calm, seeking help when needed

 

Tip: Model respectful communication and step in gently when coaching

through social situations.

 

Inclusive Evaluation Practices for Paraprofessionals

• Highlight strengths before giving feedback
• Adapt your approach to fit how the student learns best
• Give feedback that’s specific and focused on effort
• Include the student: ask how they think they did and what they want to improve

 

Putting It All Together

As a paraprofessional, you can:

✅ Use task analysis to break down job tasks

✅ Observe and guide students using authentic assessment

✅ Reinforce behavioral and social-emotional skills

✅ Provide respectful, strength-based feedback

Remember: The goal is to empower students by understanding

their strengths and providing the right support for growth.

 

Activity- Creating a Simple Task Analysis (TA)

Pick a Task: Think of a routine activity students do (e.g., lining up for lunch, hand washing, or preparing materials for an art project).

Break It Down: Write the steps in order, keeping them short and specific.

Check for Clarity: Could a student follow these steps independently? If not, break them down even further.

Share Examples: We’ll review a few TAs and talk about how they could be used to teach students with or without disabilities.

 

 

Questions & Discussion

What is one thing you can change in your current practice to encourage independence this coming Fall ?

 

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey

THANK YOU

Sonya Durham

Durhams2@vcu.edu

 

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