How to Request a Paraprofessional or Aide in a South Carolina IEP

Parents in Greenville County have organized around it. Parents in Charleston County talk about it constantly. Across South Carolina, the single most contentious IEP battle many families fight is not about eligibility or placement — it is about whether the district will fund a one-on-one paraprofessional for their child.

Districts resist these requests because paraprofessionals are expensive. A full-time aide can cost a district tens of thousands of dollars per year. That financial pressure translates into an IEP meeting dynamic where the team systematically underestimates need, overstates existing supports, and uses generically dismissive language like "your child doesn't meet the threshold" or "we have other supports in place." None of that is a legal determination. Here is how to turn a verbal denial into a documented, challengeable decision.

What Is a Paraprofessional and When Is One Required?

A paraprofessional (also called a one-on-one aide, parapro, or instructional assistant) is a trained school employee who provides direct support to a student with a disability in the classroom or across school environments. Under IDEA, a paraprofessional is a "related service" — meaning that if the IEP team determines one is necessary to enable the child to receive FAPE, the district must provide it, funded entirely by the district.

Paraprofessionals are not automatically included in every IEP. The team must determine whether the student's disability and current level of functioning make one necessary. The key word is "necessary" — not "helpful" or "preferred." Districts often try to deny requests by arguing that a paraprofessional would be beneficial but not required. Your job is to demonstrate it is required.

The situations that most strongly support a paraprofessional request include:

• Safety concerns — a child who elopes, self-injures, or is at risk of harming others
• Intensive behavioral support needs — a child with ASD or Emotional Disability who requires constant behavioral prompting and redirection
• Physical assistance needs — transfers, positioning, feeding, toileting
• Communication support — a non-verbal or minimally verbal child who requires facilitated AAC use throughout the day
• Academic access — a child who cannot independently access curriculum or complete tasks without adult support due to their disability

Step 1: Make the Request in Writing Before the IEP Meeting

Do not walk into an IEP meeting and ask verbally. Submit a written request to the special education director and school principal at least one week before any IEP meeting. The letter should:

• State clearly that you are requesting a full-time (or part-time, specify) paraprofessional as a related service in your child's IEP
• Describe the specific behaviors, functional limitations, or safety concerns driving the request
• Request that the IEP team come prepared to discuss data supporting or refuting the need

Keep a copy with the date you sent it.

Step 2: Gather Supporting Data

The IEP team will use assessment data to make this determination. You should come with your own data:

• Incident reports — any documentation of elopement, behavioral incidents, safety events
• Progress monitoring data — demonstrating that the student is not making progress without additional support
• Outside evaluations — if a private psychologist, BCBA, or occupational therapist has recommended paraprofessional support, bring that report
• Written input from teachers — if the current classroom teacher has communicated that the student requires near-constant support, get that in writing before the meeting

Step 3: Demand a PWN If the Team Refuses

If the IEP team denies your request at the meeting, do not leave without requesting a Prior Written Notice (PWN). Under SCDE regulations, the district must issue a PWN any time it refuses to initiate or change the provision of FAPE. The PWN must explain:

1. What action the district is refusing to take
2. Why the district is refusing
3. What data, assessments, or records the district relied on to make this determination

Do not accept a verbal denial. The PWN is the legally binding record of the refusal and the starting point for any appeal.

If the team says "we'll review this later" or "we need more time to assess," ask them to put that timeline in writing and request the PWN document the fact that no determination was made at this meeting.

Step 4: Request an IEE If You Disagree with the Assessment

If the school's evaluation is being used to justify the denial — for example, a school psychologist's report concluding that the child does not require one-on-one support — and you disagree with that evaluation, you have the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense. The district must either pay for the independent evaluation or file a due process complaint to defend its own evaluation. Parents are not required to explain their disagreement.

An outside BCBA or developmental pediatrician's assessment that supports a paraprofessional need is powerful evidence in both mediation and due process proceedings.

What Greenville County Parents Are Fighting

Greenville County is the state's largest district with over 12,000 special education students. Parents there have publicly accused the district of systematically refusing paraprofessional requests to manage costs, including following a student elopement and drowning incident that raised acute safety questions. If you are in Greenville and facing this denial, you are not alone — and the district's recent history of external review criticism for special education management means your complaint lands in a highly scrutinized environment.

The South Carolina IEP & 504 Advocacy Playbook includes a fill-in-the-blank paraprofessional request letter citing SC Regulation 43-243, a PWN demand template, and a checklist for building the behavioral and safety documentation that makes these requests stick.

See more United States guides →