COOPERATION OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS AND TEACHERS IN IMPLEMENTING THE IEP

The purpose of this paper is to assess the level of engagement of educational assistants in the educational process with students with special needs and to verify the level and areas of collaboration between teachers and educational assistants in the implementation of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Two hypotheses are presented regarding the collaboration between educational assistants and teachers in the implementation of the IEP, their work, and their behavior in the interaction between the child with special needs and other children in the classroom. The sample includes 71 teachers who have had children with special needs in their classes across several lower secondary schools in the municipalities that implement IEPs in the Anamorava and Prishtina regions (a total of 37 lower secondary schools). Based on the role of educational assistants, their role is not only to assist students with disabilities but also the entire class, which facilitates the flow of the educational process. Given that today’s classrooms often include a large number of students with disabilities (often 2-3 per class), the involvement of educational assistants ensures adequate educational conditions. Moreover, the collaboration between teachers and educational assistants in the implementation of the IEP is essential for more effective and successful work with students with disabilities.