SPED aides’ role highlighted

Speaking before the Public School System professional development seminar “Instructional Aides: Roles and Responsibilities” at the Aqua Resort Club Friday, special education teachers Marie Quintinilla of Marianas High School and Erlinda Limtiaco of Hopwood Junior High School reminded instructional aides on their important role in caring for children with disabilities.

Limtiaco and Quintinilla, who have been special education practitioners for the past 30 years, said instructional aides should be properly trained to help and assist children with disabilities and help fulfill their dreams in life.

“Every student with or without disabilities has a dream,” Quintinilla said. “We respect that dream and we should help them achieve their dreams.”

Limtiaco said the seminar highlighted the guidelines expected from instructional aides.

She said that the training provided insights of wha instructional aides need to know to enable them to teach students with disabilities functional skills—things you have to learn to survive in this world—more effectively

Limtiaco said children with disabilities need to learn basic concepts that “we have taken for granted, such as buying in stores.”

“These are self help skills. Children with disabilities need to learn how to feed themselves, to use the toilet, and the [instructional] aides should make them aware of what these needs are,” she said.

Quintinilla said instructional aides should train their students how to be on their own.

She and Limtiaco also acknowledged the help instructional aides give to teachers like them.

“Because we can’t do it all,” said Limtiaco, who teaches 10 students with disabilities. “We cannot watch them all when they go to different classrooms so teacher aides are very much needed.”

The seminar brought everyone involved in special education up to speed with regards to improving the program in making it compliant to standards set by the PSS.

“We have daily challenges but we don’t see them as problems,” Limtiaco said. “These are everyday challenges we always look forward to and its part of teaching children with disabilities.

The two also advised teachers and their instructional aides to continue being open to new ideas to improve education for students with disabilities. (Marconi Calindas)