Title: DEC - Student Specific Support Aide @ Tryon Elementary Location: Bessemer City, NC, United States Posted Date: 2026-08-10
Definition
The employee provides support to students who have health, behavioral, or instructional needs to meet Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals and have success in the curriculum and school environment.
Duties and Responsibilities
• Performs specific student duties related to health, and behavior, including but not limited to: assistance in the bathroom, cafeteria, and classroom.
• Reports collected data to appropriate individuals, including administrators, teachers, parents, and other related service providers.
• Ensures appropriate interventions are monitored and maintained.
• Participates in staff development and training to gain knowledge of health, behavioral, or instructional procedures specific to the assigned students.
• Accompanies assigned students on all field trips.
• Monitors assigned students during extracurricular events as assigned.
• Accompanies assigned students on the bus as needed.
• Participates in school functions.
• Other duties as assigned related to supporting specific students who receive special education services.
Job Specific
Depending on how the Principal advertises the vacancy, the Exceptional Children Student Specific Support Aide position may require duties below in more than one area. Each area is an essential function.
Behavior Support
This employee will participate in staff development and training to gain knowledge of procedures specific to students with behavioral challenges including Non-Violent Crisis Intervention. The employee in this position will prepare a variety of materials and operate the office equipment necessary to prepare these materials. They will participate in the regularly scheduled Behavior Support Team meetings.
In addition to the Common Competencies and Physical Requirements, the employee in this role:
• Provides support to the teacher of students who have behavioral needs and require intensive intervention in order to meet IEP (Individualized Education Program) goals and have success in the curriculum and school environment
• Demonstrates knowledge of the stages of child development.
• Communicates effectively to develop positive relationships with school personnel and students.
• Assists teachers of exceptional children in the classroom and non-classroom settings to develop behavior management strategies and behavior intervention plans.
• Performs specific student behavior-related duties to include, but not limited to, assistance in the bathroom, cafeteria, and classroom based on specific student needs.
• Works individually on any task assigned.
• Model for teachers how to modify instruction/tasks when appropriate.
• Model for teachers how to implement strategies for positive behavior support to students with significant behavioral challenges.
• Implements strategies, techniques, and schedules for the specific student as determined by the IEP team, guided by the EC teacher
• Provides data collection on the fidelity of implementation of the behavior intervention plan and the student response to the plan.
• Reports collected data to appropriate individuals including administrators, teachers, parents, and other related service providers to ensure appropriate interventions are monitored and maintained.
• Other duties as assigned related to supporting specific students receiving special education services.
Client Specific Personal Needs
In addition to the Common Competencies and Physical Requirements, the employee in this role:
• cares for child(ren) with disabilities involving lifting and supporting the student; attending to physical, personal, and medical needs.
• assists in moving students around the campus.
• performs student-specific health-related duties such as assisting students in the classroom, bathroom, and lunchroom on an as-needed basis.
• meets the student when he/she arrives in the morning and remains with the student until the student’s school day ends on an as-needed basis.
• rides the bus with the student as needed.
• accompanies and monitors student(s) on field trips.
• has knowledge of the developmental stages of child development.
• monitors the behavior and work habits of the student and will keep consistent data.
• has the ability to communicate and work with the assigned student.
• Implements strategies, techniques, and schedules for the specific student as determined by the IEP team, guided by the EC teacher
• completes other duties as assigned related to supporting specific students receiving special education services.
• Other duties as assigned.
Pre-Kindergarten Classes
In addition to the Common Competencies and Physical Requirements, the employee in this role:
• Constantly monitors the behavior of students and employs strategies as necessary to protect students from injury; rewards good behavior; responds to inappropriate behavior as instructed by the teacher; supervises free time and situations where the classroom teacher is out of the room.
• Accompanies the assigned student to and from the bus; guides the student to their classrooms.
• Accompanies students to mainstreamed classrooms and assists as necessary.
• Assists students with toileting
• including diapering, if necessary.
• Maintains student confidentiality.
• Completes/Maintains criminal history check required by the Division of Child Development and Early Education
• Other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Common Competencies)
• Demonstrates knowledge of the stages of child development; communicates effectively; and develops positive relationships with assigned students.
• Demonstrates ability to use sound judgment and confidentiality in approaching and working with sensitive and challenging students and situations, and the resulting information.
• General knowledge of daily routines of the classroom.
• General knowledge of student handbook rules.
• General knowledge of procedures to follow in the event of an emergency.
• General knowledge of methods of equipment and tools for children with special needs.
• General knowledge of the principles of organization and administration.
• Ability to constantly monitor the safety and well-being of students, particularly when a student is participating in an inclusive activity.
• Ability to motivate students, contributing to a positive atmosphere with students and colleagues.
• Ability to maintain a clean and orderly environment.
• Ability to maintain order and discipline in a classroom, following the teacher's classroom management protocols.
• Ability to maintain basic files and records for documentation.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.
Physical Requirements
• Must be able to exert a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
• Due to the amount of time spent standing and/or walking, physical requirements are consistent with those for Medium/Heavy Work. Must be able to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force to constantly move objects up to 10 pounds.
• Must have the auditory, visual, and physical skills necessary to manage students and the classroom in a manner that assures reasonable safety to students under supervision.
Required Education and Experience
High School diploma.
Preferred Experience:
• Prior experience in child-care
• Prior experience with children and/or adults with special learning, behavior, or health-care needs
This Position Reports to: School Principal
Salary: Grade 53
Classification: Non-exempt
Disclaimer
The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees for this job.
If offered a position, prospective employees must pass a required health exam, criminal records check, and drug test. As a safety sensitive position, the employee will be subject to random drug testing.
If your position requires you to work with preschool children, you must meet a federally mandated childcare background check and fingerprints that are in addition to and separate from the background check and fingerprints you completed as a new hire for GCS.
Created 07/2024 SHuffman
The employee provides support to students who have health, behavioral, or instructional needs to meet Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals and have success in the curriculum and school environment.
About GASTON COUNTY SCHOOLS
Gaston County Schools operates the public school system for Gastonia, North Carolina, and its surrounding communities. It serves approximately 30,000 students across the district. The organization employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people. It maintains proximity to Charlotte while providing educational programs within a metropolitan region.
How to get in at GASTON COUNTY SCHOOLS
Applying early to Gaston County Schools gives you a distinct advantage because recruiters review the first wave of candidates before the volume of applications becomes unmanageable. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published, so you can submit your materials among the first. This helps you stay visible while others are still preparing their documents. You can also improve your response rates by reaching out to the people managing the hiring process directly. Intern Insider surfaces the recruiters behind the company roles, allowing you to ask relevant questions or inquire about a referral. Connecting with a human being often provides more clarity than a standard application queue.
