Paraprofessionals may work with your child one-on-one, help out as a classroom second-in-command, or supervise activities like gym, recess, or lunch. Unlike teachers, though, you may not get much in the way of information about these important parts of your child's support staff. Ask these questions to facilitate communication and make sure your child is getting the right help.

1. What's the paraprofessional's name?

Your child may identify paras by "Mrs." and an initial, and you'll probably wind up using that shorthand too. But that para has a name, and you should know what it is. Even if you never have to use that name in formal correspondence or official conversations, a full name makes that individual more real and less like an interchangeable piece of school equipment.

2. What is the paraprofessional's specific function?

You'll want to know if a paraprofessional in question is working specifically with your child, with a group of children, or helping the entire classroom. If you're hearing your child mention a lot of different "Mrs." and initials, some may be helpers for different parts of the school day, and it will be useful to know who all those people are and what they do so you can keep track of your child's routine and know who to talk to if problems arise.

3. What are the paraprofessional's qualifications?

Many paraprofessionals don't have much in the way of qualifications, and that's fine. But if your child's IEP specifies a paraprofessional with the training needed to help with learning or behavior or medical issues, you'll want to ask and make sure that is actually the case. Don't assume that of course, since the IEP says it, your child must have gotten the right aide. Staffing problems and shortages can make that difficult for districts, and they're hoping you won't ask.

4. What hours does the paraprofessional work?

If your child has a one-on-one, you probably expect that person to greet your child at the bus and put him or her back on it when school's done. Many professionals, however, don't work the full school day, and may join the class a half-hour into the day and leave early. Find out what coverage the school is providing for those before-and-after parts of the day, and if it's not satisfactory, or your child is disrupted by the lack of consistency, see if you can get a paraprofessional assigned who's full-time.

5. Does the paraprofessional have any special duties?

Some paraprofessionals may be assigned extra tasks that can take them away from the work you're expecting them to be doing for your child, whether it's working with other students or doing lunch or recess duty or handling administrative tasks. Find out if there are gaps in your paraprofessional's time with your child and be ready to draw a line from that to any behavior issues your child may be having. If it's disruptive or violates your child's IEP, you'll want to take that up with the IEP team.

6. Does the paraprofessional have any restrictions?

Find out if there is anything you would expect the paraprofessional to be doing for your child that he or she can't do -- for example, physical problems that make it difficult to keep up with your child or pick your child up, or a paraprofessional of a different gender who can't accompany your child to the bathroom or the locker room to change for gym. If this will be a problem, discuss it with the IEP team and see if a paraprofessional can be assigned who can give your child everything needed.

7. How long has the paraprofessional been on duty?

In some cases, your child may benefit from a new para with new ideas and ways to work, or from someone with lots of experience and a deep bag of tricks. Know which is which, and ask for the one you think will work best with your child.

8. How can I communicate with the paraprofessional?

Open and friendly communication between parent and paraprofessional can do a lot to improve your child's school experience. Unfortunately, some schools and teachers don't want paras talking to moms and dads, and you may find layers of formalities between you. And sometimes, paras don't want to talk to parents for fear of getting themselves in trouble. See if you can establish an acceptable format for communication, so you can get answers to these questions and the new ones that come up every day.