Paraprofessionals Supporting Students with Visual Impairments

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Updated June 12, 2025
The role of the paraprofessional is determined through the IEP process and is based on the individual needs of the student. A paraprofessional may support a student throughout the entire day or during specific times or activities. Their primary role is to provide appropriate support that promotes success while fostering independence, not dependency.

Key Responsibilities

To ensure clarity and effective collaboration, the responsibilities of the paraprofessional must be clearly defined in relation to the roles of the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) and the classroom teacher.
Physical and Instructional Support
  • Support the student's physical needs when appropriate.
  • Assist in guiding practice, reviewing lessons, and supporting new routines or activities until they are mastered.
  • Help students access materials and environments independently without becoming overly intrusive.
Material Preparation
  • Enlarge print materials for students with low vision.
  • Prepare tactile graphics, braille materials, or audio recordings as needed.
  • Learn braille if the student uses it and consider pursuing formal training (e.g., becoming a certified braille transcriber).
Access Facilitation
  • Read materials aloud when they are not yet accessible.
  • Narrate visual content (e.g., videos).
  • Translate print to braille and braille to print.
  • Assist in ordering and maintaining an inventory of specialized materials.
Social and Peer Interaction
  • Support positive peer interactions and social inclusion.
  • Avoid "hovering" or over-assisting in ways that may isolate the student or impede independence.

Important Considerations

  • Balance Support: Provide help when needed, but avoid doing things for the student that they can do independently.
  • Encourage Independence: The goal is always to build the student’s skills, confidence, and self-reliance.
  • Prevent Learned Dependency: Too much help can lead to passivity and reduced engagement in learning.
  • Avoid Being a Barrier: The paraprofessional should enhance—not limit—the student’s interactions with peers and engagement with the classroom community.

​Collaboration and Training

  • The TVI is typically responsible for training and supervising the paraprofessional in specialized skills related to visual impairments.
  • Paraprofessionals should meet regularly with the TVI and other team members to ensure services remain appropriate and effective.
  • Ongoing professional development is essential and may include:
    • Pre-service training
    • On-the-job coaching
    • Observation and feedback
  • Continuous collaboration and monitoring help prevent over-reliance and support the development of independent, confident learners.

Printables

The "Paraprofessionals Supporting VI Students" Handout  is available on the Premium Printables page.

Subscribe today!

Subscribe today to unlock premium resources & printables. Choose the subscription level that best fits your needs and get immediate access to additional printable resources, ECC tools, and more. Subscription plans are individual and non-transferable. Your membership helps sustain and grow this resource for the vision community. ​​Thank you for your support!

Article Pages

VI Basics
History of VI ​Vision Professionals​ ​Professional Publications ​​Program Tools & Templates ​Policy & Advocacy ​​Professional Support AT Resources​
Service Planning
VI Referrals​ ​Medical Vision Exam ​Visual DiagnosisFVLMALow Vision EvaluationsOther Evaluations​Service PlansGoals & Objectives
Consultation
​Unique Visual Needs
​Collaboration​​Instructional Adaptations​Environmental Adaptations​​Material Adaptations​Access ClassesFamily Resources
Teaching Strategies
Compensatory Skills
Concept Development​Alternative Communication​Emergent Literacy​Beginning Braille​​Braille Code​Braille Fluency & Comprehension​Braillewriter​​​​​Slate & Stylus Basics *S
​​​Nemeth Code Instruction *S
​​​Tactile Graphics​Print Concepts​​Abacus ​​Organize​​​Study Skills​​Time Management
Sensory Efficiency
​Auditory Efficiency​​​​​Listening Skills​​Visual Efficiency Skills​​Optical Device Use​Tactile Readiness
Assistive Technology
AT Assessment ​AT Instruction​
AT Basic Use ​​AT Problem Solving ​Braille Notetaker ​iOS/Tablet Instruction Audio Skills ​Video Magnifiers ​​Basic Computer Use Access Productivity
Social Skills
​Non-Verbal Skills​​​​​CommunicateCooperativeIdentity & Self-Awareness​Interactions & RelationshipsManaging Challenges & Safety
Self-Determination
Independent Living Skills
Personal Care ​Hygiene  ​Personal Health Mealtime Skills ​​​ Food Preparation​Household SkillsClothing Management​Money & BudgetShopping & ConsumerismPhone Use​Safety & Emergency Preparedness​​Services & Community Resources
Orientation & Mobility
Recreation & Leisure Skills
Career & Vocational
Interactive Activities
Recorded Presentations
Lesson Planning 
Thematic Units
Beginning of the Year Units ​​Fall Units​​Winter Units​​Spring UnitsHoliday Units
Printable Resources
**Additionally, each Teach Subscription page and each Thematic Unit contains additional unique printables!
*M = free member pages
*S = Basic subscription pages
*CS = Complete set bonus
*A = All Access subscription pages