Top 12 Special Education Paraprofessional Skills to Put on Your Resume
Crafting a compelling resume as a Special Education Paraprofessional means showing skills that prove you can support, scaffold, and champion students with a wide range of strengths and needs. When you spotlight the abilities that reveal your expertise, patience, and steady presence, you instantly become more attractive to schools—and more impactful for the students you serve.
Special Education Paraprofessional Skills
- Behavior Management
- IEP Familiarity
- Autism Spectrum Support
- Nonviolent Crisis Intervention
- Sign Language (ASL)
- Boardmaker Software
- PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
- Read&Write Software
- Scaffolding Techniques
- Sensory Integration
- Proloquo2Go Proficiency
- Classroom Modifications
1. Behavior Management
Behavior management, in this context, is the toolkit you use to prevent escalation, teach replacement skills, and build habits that let students access learning and feel safe doing it. It weaves together proactive routines, clear expectations, and consistent responses.
Why It's Important
It stabilizes the classroom. It keeps everyone safe. And it opens the door to academic and social growth by removing barriers that block attention, self-regulation, and peer connection.
How to Improve Behavior Management Skills
Refine your approach and keep it steady, even on tough days.
Know the learner: Identify triggers, interests, and strengths. Use ABC (Antecedent–Behavior–Consequence) notes to spot patterns.
Set crystal-clear expectations: Short rules, posted visuals, frequent pre-corrections. Practice routines like they’re skills—because they are.
Reinforce what you want: Catch the positive moments fast. Offer specific praise and meaningful reinforcers tied to student goals.
Lean on visuals: Schedules, first–then boards, timers, and choice boards cut ambiguity and calm nerves.
Keep a predictable rhythm: Consistency lowers anxiety. Small transitions, previewed, go smoother.
Use de-escalation language: Neutral tone. Fewer words. Offer choices. Time and space help.
Collaborate: Align with the teacher, related service providers, and caregivers so strategies don’t clash.
Protect your bandwidth: Brief check-ins, breathing resets, and boundaries keep you effective for the long haul.
How to Display Behavior Management Skills on Your Resume
2. IEP Familiarity
IEP familiarity means you understand each student’s Individualized Education Program and your role in carrying it out—accommodations, modifications, goals, services, and how progress is measured.
Why It's Important
The IEP steers the ship. Knowing it well ensures support is tailored, compliant, and effective, while data you collect feeds real decisions about what’s working.
How to Improve IEP Familiarity Skills
Decode the document: Know present levels, goals, services, accommodations, and progress-monitoring methods.
Clarify your role: Ask how you’ll implement supports during instruction, transitions, and assessments.
Track data faithfully: Use simple, shared tools—tally sheets, rubrics, short notes—to capture progress and obstacles.
Attend meetings when invited: Share observations, listen for updates, note any changes to supports or goals.
Align daily practice: Cross-check your routines and materials with the IEP’s accommodations.
Reflect and adjust: Review data weekly; tweak prompts, visuals, or reinforcement plans accordingly.
How to Display IEP Familiarity Skills on Your Resume
3. Autism Spectrum Support
Autism Spectrum Support involves individualized strategies that honor communication differences, sensory needs, and preference for predictability, all while building skills for independence, self-advocacy, and social connection.
Why It's Important
It reduces barriers that can turn school into a maze. With the right supports, students learn, participate, and self-regulate more effectively—and they do it with dignity.
How to Improve Autism Spectrum Support Skills
Use structured supports: Clear schedules, first–then boards, visual directions, and task strips.
Teach with clarity: Model, prompt, fade. Break tasks into bite-sized steps with immediate feedback.
Support communication: Offer AAC, choice boards, or visual sentence starters. Honor all communication.
Plan for sensory needs: Offer movement breaks, noise reduction, or alternative seating when needed.
Coach social skills naturally: Use structured play, role-play, and peer partners; practice in the moment.
Use positive behavior supports: Define replacement behaviors, reinforce proactively, and make triggers visible.
Generalize skills: Practice across settings, people, and materials so gains stick.
How to Display Autism Spectrum Support Skills on Your Resume
4. Nonviolent Crisis Intervention
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (often taught through CPI and comparable trainings) equips you to prevent, de-escalate, and safely respond to dangerous behavior, prioritizing communication and safety while using physical intervention only as a last resort and in line with district policy.
Why It's Important
It protects students’ physical safety and emotional well-being, keeps staff coordinated, and restores calm so learning can resume.
How to Improve Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Skills
Practice calm communication: Fewer words, slower pace, neutral tone, supportive body language.
Know the function: Identify what the behavior gets for the student (escape, attention, sensory, tangible) and respond accordingly.
Master de-escalation: Offer choices, time, space, and predictable next steps; avoid power struggles.
Plan ahead: Review school crisis protocols, roles, and room layouts; rehearse with the team.
Document and debrief: After incidents, record facts, review triggers, and adjust plans with the team.
Stay current: Renew certifications as required and refresh skills with scenario practice.
How to Display Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Skills on Your Resume
5. Sign Language (ASL)
American Sign Language (ASL) is a full, visual language with its own grammar and syntax. For students who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or multimodal communicators, ASL can be a primary access point for instruction and community.
Why It's Important
It unlocks equitable communication. It reduces isolation. And it allows students to engage fully in academics, peer interactions, and daily routines.
How to Improve Sign Language (ASL) Skills
Practice daily: Short, focused sessions beat occasional marathons. Repetition cements recall.
Build core vocabulary: Start with classroom routines, emotions, and high-frequency academic terms.
Watch fluent signers: Mirror facial expressions and grammar markers, not just handshapes.
Use it in context: Sign during instruction, transitions, and play; pair signs with visuals.
Seek feedback: Ask Deaf colleagues, interpreters, or advanced signers to correct and coach.
Respect Deaf culture: Learn norms, values, and community perspectives alongside vocabulary.
How to Display Sign Language (ASL) Skills on Your Resume
6. Boardmaker Software
Boardmaker helps you create symbol-supported materials—visual schedules, social narratives, choice boards, task analyses, and interactive activities—for learners who benefit from visual language and structure.
Why It's Important
Custom visuals reduce cognitive load and ambiguity. That means smoother transitions, clearer expectations, and more independent participation.
How to Improve Boardmaker Software Skills
Master templates: Learn when to use grids, schedules, token boards, and social stories.
Organize symbol libraries: Tag and sort by routines, subjects, and student names for fast editing.
Customize deeply: Swap symbols, adjust font and color, and personalize with student photos.
Plan for generalization: Create parallel sets for home, hallway, cafeteria, and community settings.
Blend print and digital: Offer both laminated visuals and on-screen versions where appropriate.
Iterate from data: Revise layouts based on what students actually use and understand.
How to Display Boardmaker Software Skills on Your Resume
7. PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System)
PECS teaches functional communication by having learners exchange pictures for what they want. It starts with requesting and expands into commenting and building simple sentences.
Why It's Important
It grants immediate access to communication, reducing frustration and increasing independence. Requests become clearer, faster, and more successful.
How to Improve PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) Skills
Follow the phases: From physical exchange to discrimination to sentence strips and beyond—don’t skip steps.
Make it motivating: Use high-preference items and activities. Keep pictures current and specific.
Model exchanges: Show the sequence and fade prompts carefully to build independence.
Expand vocabulary: Add verbs, adjectives, and locations so communication grows richer.
Embed all day: Use PECS during routines, play, inclusion, and community trips—not just therapy blocks.
Coach peers: Teach classmates how to respond to exchanges to boost social communication.
Monitor fidelity: Check that prompting, distance, and persistence follow the protocol.
How to Display PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) Skills on Your Resume
8. Read&Write Software
Read&Write is assistive technology that supports reading, writing, and study skills with tools like text-to-speech, word prediction, vocabulary support, and annotation.
Why It's Important
It levels access to print-heavy content, gives students more ways to demonstrate understanding, and reduces barriers that derail independence.
How to Improve Read&Write Software Skills
Personalize settings: Adjust voices, speeds, colors, and screen masking to student preference.
Teach feature routines: Model how to use prediction, dictionaries, audio maker, and highlights with real assignments.
Build workflows: Show students how to collect highlights into study notes and export them.
Pair with strategy instruction: Use text-to-speech for proofreading, prediction for idea generation, and annotations for active reading.
Track impact: Compare task completion time and accuracy with and without supports; adjust tools accordingly.
How to Display Read&Write Software Skills on Your Resume
9. Scaffolding Techniques
Scaffolding breaks learning into manageable chunks and provides the temporary supports needed—prompts, visuals, models—until students can do the task independently.
Why It's Important
It turns “can’t yet” into “can.” With the right supports and a plan to fade them, students build confidence and durable skills.
How to Improve Scaffolding Techniques Skills
Chunk tasks: Sequence steps from easiest to hardest and celebrate progress at each rung.
Model clearly: Think aloud. Show, then guide, then release.
Use layered prompts: Start with least intrusive prompts and fade intentionally.
Leverage visuals: Graphic organizers, checklists, and exemplars anchor abstract concepts.
Check understanding often: Quick probes, response cards, or thumbs signals steer your next move.
Encourage peer supports: Buddies, roles, and structured group tasks multiply practice.
Fade strategically: Remove supports step by step while maintaining success.
How to Display Scaffolding Techniques Skills on Your Resume
10. Sensory Integration
Sensory integration is how the brain organizes input from the senses so we can respond effectively. In schools, it often means providing supports and activities that help students regulate and participate.
Why It's Important
When sensory needs are supported, attention improves, stress eases, and learning sticks. The room gets calmer; students get readier.
How to Improve Sensory Integration Skills
Follow OT guidance: Align classroom supports with the student’s sensory plan and goals.
Design a calmer space: Reduce visual clutter, offer quiet corners, manage noise, and adjust lighting.
Embed sensory breaks: Short, scheduled movement or deep-pressure options can reset the system.
Offer choice: Fidgets, seating options, and noise-dampening tools—always taught and used purposefully.
Use tactile and movement-rich tasks: Hands-on materials and whole-body learning can boost engagement.
Observe and tweak: Track what calms versus overstimulates; adjust duration, intensity, and timing.
How to Display Sensory Integration Skills on Your Resume
11. Proloquo2Go Proficiency
Proloquo2Go is a symbol-based AAC app. Proficiency means you can customize vocabulary sets, set up efficient navigation, and model language so students can communicate throughout the day.
Why It's Important
Communication is access. When the tool fits the student and the team models it consistently, expressive language grows.
How to Improve Proloquo2Go Proficiency Skills
Learn the layout: Understand folders, core words, and how to streamline navigation.
Customize for the student: Add relevant vocabulary, photos, and phrases tied to routines and interests.
Model constantly: Use aided language stimulation—point to symbols while you speak.
Prioritize core words: Focus on flexible, high-frequency words to build powerful sentences.
Train partners: Coach teachers, peers, and caregivers so communication doesn’t stall outside therapy.
Review data: Note which pages and words get used; reorganize to reduce clicks.
How to Display Proloquo2Go Proficiency Skills on Your Resume
12. Classroom Modifications
Classroom modifications are changes to instruction, materials, environment, or assessments so students with disabilities can participate and progress alongside peers.
Why It's Important
Access first, then mastery. Modifications and accommodations ensure instruction meets the learner where they are while honoring the IEP.
How to Improve Classroom Modifications Skills
Align to the IEP: Match supports to documented needs—don’t guess, verify.
Make visuals routine: Schedules, steps, labels, and timers reduce ambiguity.
Offer flexible access: Alternative seating, voice-to-text, audiobooks, enlarged print—use what the student needs.
Adjust task demands: Shorten assignments, provide choices, or change response mode without diluting learning goals.
Build movement in: Planned breaks and kinesthetic options keep regulation on track.
Coordinate as a team: Keep teachers, therapists, and families synced so supports are consistent.
Review and refine: Use data and student feedback to keep modifications effective and respectful.
How to Display Classroom Modifications Skills on Your Resume
