Temporary Communicative Disorder Assistant

Communicative Disorders Assistant
Temporary Position
About The Board
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to learning, equity, engagement and innovation. We are guided by our vision, Growing Together, the mission that every student experiences a sense of belonging and engages in dynamic learning to reach their potential and build their own future, and our values of Compassion, Dignity, Trust, and Joy to guide our daily work and ensure that we honour the unique identities and needs of all. Proudly serving a community of approximately 50,000 students in the City of Hamilton and surrounding area, HWDSB operates across 80 elementary schools, 13 secondary schools and 1 Adult Learning Centre, in addition to providing support and service to approximately 8,800 staff members.

Staff Wellness
At HWDSB, staff wellness is a priority. We are committed to co-creating and fostering an environment where staff feel safe, valued, and supported. We are continuously striving to support the needs of our diverse community and actively work to foster and maintain a culture of human rights.

Our holistic Staff Wellness program has been designed to support employee's well-being in all dimensions of health. As one part of this comprehensive program, all staff as well as their dependents have access to free and confidential supports through our Employee and Family Assistance Provider (EFAP), in addition to many other program components.

Job Description
Reporting to the Manager of Speech, Language & Communication Services department, the Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) will work under the supervision of a registered Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) to implement communication goals with HWDSB student individually or in a group setting. Under the direction of the SLP, the CDA will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, including Teachers, Educational Assistants, Behaviour Analysts, Child and Youth Care Practitioners, and other school board professionals, and will aid in the generalization of students' goals to the classroom.

The CDA will work on an itinerant capacity, providing services across multiple schools within the HWDSB. They will work with students, with a wide variety of communication needs, ranging from non-speaking or minimally speaking individuals who may use augmentative and/or alternative communication (AAC), to those with articulation, phonology and/or fluency challenges. Some student may also experience receptive and/or expressive language difficulties, with or without conconmitant developmental or learning challenges.

Qualifications
Education:

• A post-graduate Communicative Disorders Assistant diploma is REQUIRED. Candidates without a diploma from a recognized program will not be considered.

Skills Required

• Knowledge and experience supporting students with communication difficulties, including oral motor, speech sound (articulation/phonology) and/or fluency (stuttering) challenges;
• Knowledge and experience supporting students in a variety of aspects of language therapy;
• Demonstrated proficiency with a variety AAC resources to support student learning and communication development ;
• Ability to work effectively in independent and collaborative team settings;
• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Strong time management and organizational skills;
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office programs

Preferred Experience

• Working with non-speaking/minimally verbal students in developing intentional communication skills;
• AAC apps/devices (programming, aided language modeling, partner coaching);
• Creation and use of low- and mid-tech AAC resources (e.g., creating supportive visuals, core boards, eye gaze visuals);
• Knowledge and use of basic behavioural strategies to optimize student focus and learning.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Implement communication goals in a variety of settings (class, individual, and group) under the direction of SLPs;
• Prepare and maintain resources as recommended/request by the SLP to support communication programs for schools, classrooms and/or individual students;
• Model communication strategies, visuals, home programs, and/or communication devices to school staff and/or parents/caregivers as directed by SLPs;
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of individual sessions with students, including daily plans, notes and observations;
• In collaboration with SLPs, liaise with system and classroom teachers and other support staff to promote student success relating to specific communication goals
• Support student achievement through use of recommended assistive technology and/or specialized equipment;
• Aid in training/support of communication technology training for school staff, as it pertains to specific students or as directed by the supervising SLP;
• Mentor CDA students supervised by SLPs;
• Other duties, as assigned by the Manager of Speech, Language & Communication Services.

Employment Equity Statement
Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) is committed to building inclusive learning and working environments where students see themselves reflected in the curriculum, staff population, physical surroundings and the broader community.

HWDSB's mission is to empower students to learn and grow to their full potential in a diverse world. Guided by this mission, HWDSB strives to build a workforce that embodies the values of human rights, equity, diversity and inclusion, while reflecting and welcoming the diverse and distinct identities, experiences and needs of our students and our communities.

HWDSB Seeks Qualified Candidates Who Share Our Commitment To Equity And Inclusion, And Who Will Contribute To The Vision Of Creating Inclusive And Equitable Outcomes. HWDSB Especially Invites And Welcomes Applications From

• Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples);
• Members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin; (e.g. Black and racialized communities, immigrant communities, etc.)
• Persons with visible and/or invisible (physical and/or mental) disabilities;
• Persons who identify as women; and
• Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. (i.e. Two-spirit and LGBTQIA+)

As part of HWDSB's commitment to employment equity and removing barriers to groups that have faced and continue to face barriers in employment, we invite all applicants to complete a voluntary question(s) that collects identity-based information. The voluntary question(s) is on the Apply to Education application page for this position.

HWDSB is committed to providing accommodation throughout the recruitment and selection process, based on any human rights protected grounds. If you require accommodation, please notify us in advance and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Land Acknowledgement
HWDSB is located on ancestral Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Confederacy land as determined by the Dish with One Spoon treaty. The Dish with One Spoon wampum belt represents the treaty relationship between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and Anishinaabe with respect to sharing the land and resources thereon. The intent of this agreement is for all nations sharing this territory to do so responsibly, respectfully and sustainably in perpetuity. We respect the longstanding relationships with the local Indigenous communities, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Six Nations of the Grand River.

Applicant Self-Identification Form
The information collected on this form is used to monitor HWDSB's progress toward our equity goals including our commitment to diversity in HWDSB recruitment and hiring practices. We are committed to the security and confidentiality of information under our control, and to the protection of privacy with respect to personal and confidential information that is collected, used, disclosed and retained in the system . Information on this form is collected pursuant to (Ministry of Education) and in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act . Access to this form is restricted to specific individuals in Human Resources. The Research and Analytics Department will use aggregate data from all the forms (not individual data) for internal reporting. Their access and use of the data is governed by MFIPPA and . Applicant Self-Identification Forms will be maintained in the Human Resources job competition file and securely destroyed 6 years after the job posting in accordance with general records retention principles. If you prefer not to answer any of the questions, you can select "prefer not to answer". This in no way affects your application or the applicant selection process. If you have questions or concerns about this form please contact .