Accessible Ed & Disability Resources

In-class Aides and Personal Care Attendants

At times it may be necessary for additional personnel to be present in the classroom or lab environment in order to ensure  equal access for a student to participate. All personnel will have clarity of roles and college expectations. At no time will the personnel complete work or speak on behalf of students.

In-Class Aides

In-class aides assigned to eligible students attend class to perform academic-related tasks. Duties may include setting up materials, doing the “hands-on” work in labs, and describing visual work presented in class.

Student responsibilities when working with an in-class aid
  1. Understand the role of the aide.
    • The aide is to follow your directions, not direct you.
    • The aide is not allowed to participate in any class activities, help you with homework outside of class, assist you with personal tasks, guide you to your classroom or other sites on campus, serve as your tutor, or discuss anything you with your instructor or classmates.
    • If your aide serves as your writer for a test or in-class assignment, they should only write exactly what you dictate. You need to direct the aide to capitalize letters, indent paragraphs, and to make specific punctuation marks. You are also responsible for the spelling of uncommon words.
  2. Attend class regularly.
    • If you must miss a class, you must notify AEDR as soon as possible (leave a phone message or send an email).
    • Your aide will only take notes when you attend class. If you are absent, you must make arrangements to get notes from a classmate.
  3. If you miss three or more classes without providing notice, the aide will stop going to your class.
    • You will need to meet with Accessible Ed & Disability Resources before the aide will return.
    • Additional absences after that may result in a suspension of services.
  4. Be on time for class.
    • The aide will wait ten minutes. If you do not arrive within that time, the aide will notify Accessible Ed & Disability Resources of your absence.
  5. Notify Accessible Ed & Disability Resources if your aide is absent or late.
    • You will need to have an “emergency plan” ready if your aide is absent. Talk with us if you need ideas.
  6. Review your notes after every class.
    • Tell the aide if you have any questions or concerns.
  7. Contact us if you have any problems, questions, or if you must cancel this service.
Request an in-class aid

If you haven’t already, get started with Accessible Ed & Disability Resources and learn about our accommodation process.

Request an aide from an Accessible Ed & Disability Resources counselor or specialist.

Ideally, requests should be submitted a minimum of two weeks prior to your need.

Personal Care Attendants

Students who are eligible for a Personal Care Attendant may use these personnel for assistance with managing personal care issues and to ensure effective engagement for tasks such as managing behavior and attention. Information about a possible PCA accompanying a student to class must be included on a student’s Approved Academic Accommodations form.

See our handout on Roles and Responsibilities for Classroom Access Personnel