Things to Know When Starting Support

Things to Know When Starting Support

• At the beginning and end of support, be sure to exchange greetings such as “Good morning” and “Have a nice evening.”
• When encountering those with disabilities who appear to be having difficulty, be sure to ask whether they need assistance or if you can help them in some way.
• Assistance varies greatly from individual to individual, just as disabilities do. It is extremely important to understand the variety of challenges individuals may face on a daily basis.
• Be sure to confirm immediately with those with disabilities the specific support they are requesting and how it is to be provided. Always remember that your perception may unwittingly cause discomfort or annoyance to those requiring assistance, and that they know their own needs the best.
• If scheduled support becomes unnecessary or you arrive after the scheduled time, be sure to notify all concerned beforehand when possible. Abrupt cancellation causes unwanted problems and distrust. For classroom support, you are free to leave if the person scheduled for assistance is more than 30 minutes late without prior notice.
• If inconveniences arise, it is best to hold mutual consultation to solve or prevent potential problems. Be sure to contact the DSO immediately in such cases.
• Data recorded for support, papers from note-taking, and logs from computer-assisted captioning are solely for the assistance requested and to be seen and used only by those requesting assistance.
• It is prohibited to disclose information obtained during support to any other person.
• Please note that it is not possible to be a support staff member in a class that you are enrolled in.