In accordance with recent amendments to NYSED regulations, IEP teams must make certain considerations before determining that a student requires an IEP-assigned paraprofessional, and the student’s IEP must reflect those considerations in the relevant sections. For a student recommended for an IEP-assigned paraprofessional, the Management Needs section of the IEP must make clear the circumstances during the school day, including related services and non-academic settings such as lunch and transitions, for which the student requires the support of the paraprofessional.
Please remember that if an individual student's IEP requires paraprofessional support including during lunch, the principal or designee must schedule paraprofessional coverage to ensure that the student is appropriately served at all times and that the paraprofessional has a duty free lunch period. Paraprofessionals must not be used for lunch duty.