Can I be my child’s aide at school?

It's not uncommon for parents to volunteer as a helper in their children's classroom or during extracurricular activities, especially for young kids. However, if your child needs an aide as part of their IEP, it is not a good idea to volunteer to be their aide. Your child needs a break from you during the school day and needs to learn to be independent when you are not around.

The school district has a responsibility to provide an aide if the IEP team determines that your child needs one. It is unlikely that the district would hire you as an aide and place you with your own child. Even for extracurricular activities, the school district can provide aide support. If you are concerned about the school aide, talk to your IEP team about the support your child needs; you cannot choose a specific person to be your child's aide, but the IEP can specify what qualifications or training the aide must have.

For more information, see our full article When Is a School Required to Pay for an Aide?.