Teaching Assistant – Social & Communication / Asd Specialist Role

Salary: £26,000 per year

We are currently recruiting for a Special Needs Teaching Assistant, to work on a full-time and long-term basis in a large and friendly Primary School in Caerphilly.

This 3-form entry school has a calm and purposeful atmosphere, which includes and values all pupils and staff. The school strives to empower their pupils to lead their learning, so they become motivated and independent thinkers with self-belief.

Your job role:

As a Special Needs Teaching Assistant, you will be working to support an early years pupil on a one to one basis with social and communication difficulties, suspected ASD but too early to tell at this stage. You will encourage the pupil to engage in learning activities by:

* Responding to others

* Using gestures (like waving or pointing)

* Taking turns when talking or playing

* Talking about emotions and feelings

* Staying on topic

* Adjusting speech to fit different people or situations – for instance, talking differently to a young child versus an adult or lowering one’s voice in a library.

* Asking relevant questions or responding with related ideas during conversation

* Using words for a variety of purposes such as greeting people, making comments, asking questions, making promises, etc.

* Making and keeping friends

You will represent yourself as a positive role model for pupils, supporting them to appropriately manage their behaviour and emotions. You will work with them to help them understand their frustrations, and how to work through/resolve them for a positive outcome, ensuring that they feel cared for and listened to. You will set boundaries and routine and support the child to respect and engage in these.

*An essential part of the role is to build a strong rapport with individual pupils and to achieve a relationship based on trust and mutual respect.

What you need to succeed:

The right person for this job will be calm, supportive and nurturing. You will be someone that the pupils can look to for support and advice, as well as someone that they look up to and respect. You will ensure that they feel safe, secure and confident in asking for help and channelling their emotions effectively.

In order to apply for this role, you must have relevant and proven experience of working with children in the last 2 years, experience of supporting those with ASD, and excellent interpersonal skills.

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary