What is a Teaching Assistant or Learning Support Assistant?

A Teaching Assistant (TA) or Learning Support Assistant (LSA) supports children’s learning and wellbeing in schools. While titles may vary, their role often includes working closely with individual pupils or small groups, especially those with additional needs or EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans).

TAs are essential to school life. They support not only academic development but also emotional regulation, behaviour, and social interaction. We asked some teaching assistants about their jobs and this is what they told us:

Day-to-day, TAs may:

• Work alongside a teacher in the classroom to support whole-class or small-group learning.
• Provide 1:1 support for children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).
• Run or assist with interventions (e.g. phonics, reading, speech & language).
• Help with personal care, emotional regulation, and behaviour support.
• Supervise during breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• Respond to incidents and medical needs (some are trained in first aid or managing conditions like diabetes).

They are a consistent presence that children come to rely on.

Teaching Assistants aren’t required to have a specific qualification, though many complete:

• Level 2 or Level 3 Diplomas in Supporting Teaching and Learning.
• CPD (Continuing Professional Development) in areas like:
  • Autism, ADHD, and PDA.
  • Mental health and trauma.
  • Speech and language.
  • Behaviour support.

Many TAs bring lived experience and dedication to learning beyond formal training.

TAs often form the strongest relationships with PDAers in school. They can:

• Provide a safe, trusted connection throughout the day.
• Be flexible in supporting learning in a way that respects autonomy.
• Recognise and pre-empt signs of overwhelm.
• Support emotional regulation and de-escalation.
• Advocate for the child’s needs when others don’t yet understand PDA.

They are often the ones who truly “get” the child.

TAs working with PDAers may:

• Reduce demands by offering choice, flexibility, and curiosity-led engagement.
• Use declarative language (“I wonder if…” instead of “Do this”).
• Support with sensory needs.
• Act as co-regulators, helping the child stay emotionally safe.
• Defend the child’s needs in staff conversations or during transitions.
• Avoid behaviourist approaches and punitive systems

Many TAs go above and beyond to learn about PDA, even in their own time.

The teaching assistants we talked to told us that for a PDAer in school they might be:

• The adult who helps them feel safe and understood.
• The person who spots when anxiety is building.
• A translator between the child and the rest of the school system.
• A daily ally who believes in their potential.

TAs are key to making school a more accessible, inclusive place.

PDAers and their families often tell us how confusing and unsettling it can be to meet new professionals – especially when it’s not clear what their job is or what good support looks like. That’s why we asked professionals themselves to tell us, in their own words, what they do. You’ll find their honest, personal answers in the ‘What professionals do’ section of our site.

This is a growing resource, so if you don’t see the role you’re looking for yet, you could ask the person you’re working with to fill in this short form.

Please note: these insights come from individual professionals, not official organisations, so you might find some variation in how people describe their roles. If you’re wondering whether a service you’ve been offered is the right fit, our guides to finding helpful support can help.