A special education assistant helps children with special needs while being an aide to the teacher. Students with special needs can mean students who have behavior disorders, intellectual disability, communication challenges or physical disabilities.
The special education teacher should lead the class, so the assistant should support him and his teaching methods. The assistant should follow the teacher's lead in the art project and may help in planning the activity, passing out supplies and working with the children during the activity.
The assistant will most likely be working one-on-one with the children or working with children in small groups, making sure the students are safe, clean and generally happy. The assistant will assist the students with their art projects while making them feel independent and self-reliant. Depending on the level of disability, he may need to take care of physical needs of the children during the art project, such as cleaning up, helping a student hold a paintbrush or taking students to the bathroom, for example.
Children with special needs can have challenges communicating verbally or physically what they need or want to say. Art activities can be frustrating for some children with special needs, but an assistant who stays calm and patient can help students have a fun and successful experience. The process of creating art should be fun, even if it gets messy.