Introduction
While working as an EA, you will encounter a variety of different other professions that you must work with to better the child's development and education. Two examples of this would be the teacher within the classroom, and other therapists that work with the child usually a speech pathologist. Your classroom teacher is in charge of overseeing the entire classroom and all the children involved, they would be able to provide you with resources to help teach the material to students who may not understand. While a speech pathologist will work more closely with you and the child you are working with than the teacher. The speech pathologist will provide you with the tools needed to help develop the child's speech when they are not around. If you can have great relationships with both of these professions then not only will it make you a better EA in the long run but will also make a relaxed environment for the children in the classroom while further developing their understanding.
Process
Teachers are often the profession that an EA will work more closely with than any other profession. While teachers work with a classroom as a whole, an EA works with certain parts of the class to help the children focus or adapt their material to be able to understand what the teacher is trying to teach. An EA will break down the lesson that the teacher has just taught so they can understand, whether that be using manipulatives (blocks, bingo chips, etc.) or just going over it step by step to help the child understand each step through positive reinforcements. By having a positive relationship with your teacher, you are able to positively communicate with each other and discuss ideas that either aren't working and need a new strategy or ideas that have worked phenomenally and how to expand them
A Speech Pathologist and EA may be experts in different areas, but if they combine their expertise to aid the child the sky is the limit for them. An EA will have a better understanding of the child as they work more closely with them (their temperament, triggers, strategies that help them retain information, etc.), while a Speech Pathologist has a better understanding of what goes into teaching a child to communicate (pronouns, sounds of letters, communication devices, etc.).
Conclusion
In conclusion, you will encounter a wide variety of professionals in your career as an Educational Assistant. But by maintaining a positive working relationship with each, you will not only better yourself and further your knowledge. But you will also make the lives of the students in your classroom better.
Credits
Sprott Shaw (n.d.), 3 Reasons Educational Assistants Are So Important!, Sprott Shaw College, https://sprottshaw.com/blog/reasons-why-education-assistants-are-important/
Beverly V, (n.d.), The 21st Century Speech Language Pathologist and Integrated Services in Classrooms, Indiana University Bloomington, https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/the-21st-century-speech-language-pathologist-and-integrated-services-in-classrooms.html