Inspiring Independence, Positive Behavior,
and Effective Communication

"Today's professional development was, by far, the best I've been to in my nine years here. Barbara was interesting, engaging, and her topic was so relevant to all of us."-Leslie, paraprofessional, Chelmsford, MA

Welcome to our online curriculum for paraprofessionals! The free, research-based modules below are full of practical tips and strategies.

Click on each module to access the online training. Or, if you wish to customize the materials, you can download and adapt them for classroom use.

Please share this site with other paraprofessionals who may find it useful!

Fostering Independence

  • Why independence is the goal of every student
  • How providing support can inadvertently lead to dependency and social isolation
  • Fading prompts and physical proximity

Positive Behavior Supports

  • What they are and how to use them
  • How behavior functions as a means of communication
  • Positive reinforcers

Communication Skills for Paraprofessionals

  • Communicating as part of a school-based team
  • Techniques for managing crucial conversations
  • Home-school communications

These training modules were created by Barbara Didona, MEd. They were funded by the Allen C. Crocker Family Fellowship at the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston, and by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

You are free to download, adapt, and share these modules for educational, noncommercial purposes only. Please give attribution to the author and funders as cited above.

Thank You