We've all seen it. A student with a disability enters the classroom, and within moments, an adult materializes at their side—hovering, helping, interpreting, intervening. The intention is good but the support can cause more harm than good.
Even well-meaning adult proximity can create an invisible barrier between students with disabilities and the very experiences that aim to foster belonging, competence, and self-determination. When adults stand too close, peer interactions are stifled. When adults jump in too quickly, students lose opportunities to problem-solve.
The question isn't whether students with disabilities need support.
The question is: What kind of support truly serves them?
The Hidden Cost of Close Adult Support
Paraprofessionals are dedicated, hard-working members of the school community. They show up to work every day hoping to make a difference in the educational experience of students. Research points to some of the risks of too-close paraprofessional proximity: reduced peer interactions, decreased teacher engagement, and lower academic outcomes (Giangreco, 2010). Yet in schools across the country, students with disabilities receive more adult support than ever before—often without anyone questioning whether this support is helping or hindering.
In authentically inclusive schools, educators understand a fundamental truth: effective support means fostering independence, not creating dependence. The goal isn't to remove support—it's to reimagine it in ways that center student agency, build competence, and foster genuine connection and belonging. Learning happens when students are adequately supported through productive struggle.
Shared Responsibility, Stronger Outcomes
True inclusion requires a cultural shift. The responsibility for educating diverse learners cannot rest solely on special educators or paraprofessionals. It must be shared among all educators, creating seamless networks where general education teachers, special education teachers, and support staff collaborate as a unified team.
This isn't about doing more with less. It's about doing differently—and better.
A Roadmap for Transforming Support
Ready to begin shifting your practices? Here's a systematic, research-based process your team can implement:
Step 1: See What's Really Happening
You can't change what you don't measure. Begin with systematic observation and staff input to identify current support provided by paraprofessionals throughout the entire school day. What types of help are paraprofessionals providing? When? How close are they standing? What prompts their intervention?
This data-driven approach removes assumptions and provides the foundation for informed decision-making. Use a structured observation tool to capture specific, observable data about adult proximity, types of assistance, and frequency of interventions across settings and activities.
Step 2: Brainstorm Student-Centered Alternatives
Once you understand current patterns, you can identify less intrusive alternatives. Challenge your team by pushing yourselves to be SMART about one-on-one support.
- Self-regulation and monitoring - Identify self-regulation and self-monitoring strategies that need to be taught.
- Materials - Whenever possible, adapt materials rather than adding adult support.
- Aims - Get clear on whether the goal is independence or interdependence.
- Resources/Tools - Identify tools that can create independence (AAC devices, assistive technology, adaptive equipment).
- Teammates/Peers - Ask when peers might be able to provide this support instead.
Step 3: Create Your Fade Plan
Transformation requires a plan. Use a structured tool to help you develop a clear plan that specifies:
- Concrete goals for reduced support levels
- Assigned responsibilities for each team member
- Realistic timelines with checkpoints
- Specific criteria for determining when to fade support
- Training for all team members on the use of new techniques
Step 4: Align the IEP with Your Vision
Your IEP should reflect your commitment to independence. Revisit goals and objectives through this new lens:
- Are there specific times or activities where close support remains necessary? Name them explicitly.
- Do the student’s current accommodations promote independence? Are any new accommodations required by our plan?
- Are the right team members identified throughout the IEP?
- How does the fade plan interact with the student’s transition goals and plan?
The IEP becomes a tool for transformation when it articulates a shared vision of growing student autonomy alongside continued access to needed services and supports.
Step 5: Monitor, Celebrate, Adjust
Establish regular review cycles—monthly or quarterly—to evaluate progress. This isn't about judgment; it's about learning. Ask:
- What's working? Celebrate those wins publicly and specifically.
- What challenges are emerging? Address them early, before patterns solidify.
- What adjustments will maximize student growth while maintaining necessary supports?
This systematic monitoring ensures your team remains responsive to evolving student needs while maintaining momentum toward independence goals.
Starting the Conversation in Your School
Change begins with conversation. Here's how leaders can catalyze this shift:
Start with "why." Help your team understand the research on adult proximity and its unintended consequences. Make the case that fading support isn't about doing less—it's about shifting our focus and practices to do what's best for students.
Begin small. Choose one student, one routine, or one class period. Build confidence and demonstrate success before scaling the approach.
Address resistance. When staff express concern about reducing support, leverage the proof points you’ve already created. Help them connect reduced support with the vision and long-term goals for the student’s future.
Make it about all students. The strategies that reduce dependence for students with disabilities—peer support, visual scaffolds, self-monitoring tools—benefit everyone. Mutually beneficial and enriching relationships between students with and without disabilities create communities built on a foundation of true inclusivity.
Expect discomfort. Both adults and students may initially struggle as support patterns change. This discomfort is part of growth, not evidence of failure.
The Bottom Line
Every decision about adult support should be filtered through this question: Does this foster the student's independence and genuine connection to community — or does it create dependence and separation?
When we help paraprofessionals, aides, and other staff move away from support that is proximity-based and toward facilitation, we unlock the potential for more independence and interdependence.
Our students with disabilities deserve nothing less than full membership in their school community—not as visitors accompanied by adult interpreters, but as authentic participants with agency, voice, and belonging.
The strategies outlined here provide a roadmap. The courage to begin belongs to you.
What's one small step your team could take this week to begin fading adult support and amplifying student voice? We'd love to hear your experiences and questions- schedule a call with us today!
