This book offers the first collection of international academic writing on the topic of Teaching Assistants. It serves as an indicative summary of current research and thinking in this field and as a point of departure for future research and development.

Part I: Teaching assistants and schools. 1. Paraprofessional support in Irish schools: From special needs assistants to inclusion support assistants. 2. In-between special needs teachers and students: Paraprofessionals' work in self-contained classrooms for students with intellectual disabilities in Sweden. 3. The ambiguous role of paraprofessionals in inclusive education in Germany. Part II: Teaching assistants and pupils. 4. Inclusion moments for students with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in mainstream schools: The teacher assistant’s role in supporting peer interactions. 5. Give them wings to fly: Critiquing the special needs assistants scheme through the lens of pupil independence. 6. The perspectives and experiences of children with special educational needs in mainstream primary schools regarding their individual teaching assistant support. Part III: Teaching assistants and teachers 7. Teaching assistants and teachers providing instructional support for pupils with SEN: Results from a video study in Swiss classrooms. 8. The role of teaching assistants in managing behaviour in inclusive Catalan schools. 9. Secondary teachers’ perspectives on their work with teacher assistants. Part IV: The past, present and future of research on teaching assistants. 10. Maslow’s Hammer: Teacher assistant research and inclusive practices at a crossroads. 11. Conclusion: Researching teaching assistants: What have we learned and where do we go next?