Fading Supports
(Self-Paced MODULE)
Fading refers to gradually removing the services and supports provided to promote student independence and social inclusion.
As paraprofessionals engage in a variety of tasks, the major focus of their time is providing academic and behavioral support for students with disabilities in the classroom. Some tasks will require an ongoing level of support for certain students (e.g., personal care) and others will require the paraprofessional to remain close as they engage with the student and then naturally decrease their engagement little by little to promote independence and social inclusion. When discussing how we train and use paraprofessionals within a classroom setting, we rarely, if ever, include a conversation on how a paraprofessional can begin to fade their support. Fading refers to gradually removing the services and supports provided to promote student independence and social inclusion.
Fading Supports
(Self-Paced MODULE)
There are 9 units. Each includes a variety of learning activities:
Make real life connections… through scenarios and reflective exercises.
READ… an overview that summarizes the major ideas presented in the unit
WATCH… a slideshow that presents relevant information in a varied format.
ENGAGE… with specific content that supports and strengthens your understanding.
Get introduced to relevant online resources… many of the units also include documents providing links to relevant on-line resources.
The Core Competencies for Special Education Paraeducators from the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) provide a structured framework for ensuring that paraeducators are adequately prepared to support students with disabilities in various educational settings. By focusing on the four key areas of collaboration, assessment, social/emotional/behavioral development, and instruction, these competencies align with the High Leverage Practices (HLPs) for special educators. These practices are critical for fostering effective, inclusive educational experiences for all students.
By completing the module, Fading Supports, paraeducators will work towards the core competency of instruction and assessment and collaboration improving their skills and knowledge as they learn how to work closely with teachers, administrators, students, parents, and related services personnel to implement and fade individualized supports for students. The educators should ensure that the paraeducator understands the specific evidence based supports required to meet the needs of students with disabilities and support the child’s need to increase their independence which can be achieved through the fading of adult support. The following core competencies are used as the base of this module.
| K 4.2 | Link between assessment and instruction |
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| K 7.1 | Purpose of effective teamwork to improve student outcomes |
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| K 3.7 | Effects of paraeducator’s proximity and fading of paraeducator support on student engagement, learning and independence |
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| S 5.9 | Provide least intrusive levels of support, fade support, and fade physical proximity from students with disabilities under the guidance of the instructional team |
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| S 5.9 | Provide least intrusive levels of support, fade support, and fade physical proximity from students with disabilities under the guidance of the instructional team |
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We suggest that it would be best for paraeducators and educators (who support them) to complete this module in tandem.
Some OPEPP partnering districts create professional learning communities (PLCs) where paraeducators meet up regularly to share what they have learned from the OPEPP modules. This is a productive practice that has increased para engagement in their professional development.
Your team of educators can use the reflections after each unit to summarize your learning and ideas and come together to grow in your understanding of best practices.
Time to Complete in Full: Approximately 6 hours
This Module has 9 units and 55 lessons on a variety of topics organized by subheadings that all connect to what paraeducators need to know.
CERTIFICATES of COMPLETION:
Upon completion of each page of the course work we suggest your keep your notes either on our TAKE NOTES assistant that pops up on each page or one paper so that you can share the knowledge you’ve gained with your colleagues and your supervisor if they ask for it.
If you passed the follow up post-test, you can receive a certificate of completion. Although we estimate how long these courses take, our certificates only say course completed (we do not identify how it took you because we are not able to verify that from our site).
To Retrieve your Certificate,
you will LOGIN
Got to your DASHBOARD
Got to MY CERTIFICATES
where you can show it to your supervisor, save it to your computer to share electronically, take a picture of the certificate or screenshot or you can print it to share a physical copy of it with your supervisor.
HOW DO DISTRICTS USE the CERTIFICATES
It depends on each district. It is up to the district to determine how they will count or collect the information around your course completion.