Disability at School: the essential role of AVS and AESH
The school inclusion of children with disabilities represents a major challenge for our educational system. In the face of this reality, AESH (Accompanying Students with Disabilities) and AVS (School Life Assistants) play a fundamental role in the success of this integration.
These qualified professionals provide personalized and caring support, allowing each child to develop their full potential in an adapted school environment. Their intervention goes far beyond simple educational support: they are true facilitators of social and educational inclusion.
Discover in this comprehensive guide how these assistants transform the daily school life of students with disabilities and contribute to building a more inclusive and equitable school for all.
Students with disabilities enrolled in France
AESH in activity
Family satisfaction rate
Annual increase in support
1. What is an AVS and an AESH?
The acronyms AVS and AESH refer to essential professionals in the French educational system, dedicated to supporting students with disabilities. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they reflect the evolution of the profession and its professional recognition.
The AVS (School Life Assistant) was the historical designation of these assistants. Today, we mainly talk about AESH (Accompanying Students with Disabilities), a term that better values the professional dimension and specialization of these interveners.
These professionals intervene at all levels of schooling, from kindergarten to high school, in regular classes as well as in specialized programs. Their main mission is to facilitate the school inclusion of students with particular educational needs related to their disability.
💡 Terminological evolution
The transition from AVS to AESH marks a professionalization of the job. This evolution is accompanied by better statutory recognition, more in-depth training, and broader career prospects. This transformation reflects the growing importance placed on school inclusion in our society.
The professional recognition of AESH
Contrary to popular belief, the job of AESH now requires recognized qualifications. The DEAES (State Diploma of Educational and Social Accompaniment) has become the reference in terms of training. This level V certification (equivalent to CAP/BEP) guarantees the necessary skills to effectively support students with disabilities.
The DEAES training spans 12 to 24 months and includes 525 hours of theoretical teaching complemented by 840 hours of practical training. It offers three specializations: home life support, collective structure life support, and support for inclusive education and ordinary life.
This professionalization responds to a growing need for quality in support. Today's AESH are proficient in the specifics of many disorders and disabilities, know the adapted pedagogical techniques, and can collaborate effectively with educational teams.
Not all AESH currently in position necessarily hold the DEAES. Some have entered the profession through other training pathways, particularly in the field of personal assistance. However, the trend is towards the generalization of the DEAES for all new recruitments.
2. The specific missions of AESH and AVS
The role of AESH goes far beyond simple supervision or occasional assistance. These professionals deploy their skills in multiple areas to promote the academic and personal development of the supported students. Their intervention is characterized by its personalized and evolving dimension.
Pedagogical support is one of the central missions. The AESH helps the student understand instructions, organize their work, handle school materials, and develop their learning strategies. This assistance always respects the fundamental principle of non-substitution: the goal is to make the student autonomous, not to do it for them.
Collaboration with the teacher is crucial for the success of the support. The AESH participates in adapting educational materials, proposes alternative learning strategies, and contributes to evaluating the student's progress. This professional synergy ensures the coherence of interventions.
Main missions of AESH:
- Assistance with fundamental learning (reading, writing, arithmetic)
- Support in organizing work and space
- Facilitation of communication and social interactions
- Assistance in daily living activities
- Participation in outings and extracurricular activities
- Collaboration in assessing needs and progress
Social and emotional support
Beyond purely academic aspects, AESH play a major role in the social and emotional development of students. They facilitate interactions with peers, encourage participation in collective activities, and help create an inclusive and caring classroom environment.
This social dimension of support is particularly important for students with autism spectrum disorders, behavioral disorders, or communication difficulties. The AESH then becomes a mediator, helping the student decode social codes and integrate harmoniously into the class group.
Emotional support involves listening, providing support during difficult times, and recognizing successes. This caring approach significantly contributes to the development of self-esteem and academic motivation in the supported student.
The importance of cognitive stimulation
In our practice of supporting children with specific needs, we observe that regular cognitive stimulation significantly enhances the effectiveness of AESH support. Suitable digital tools, such as our program COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES, perfectly complement human intervention.
The use of structured educational applications allows AESH to diversify their teaching approaches and maintain student engagement. The integrated sports break every 15 minutes promotes better concentration and prevents overexposure to screens.
3. Individual support versus collective support
AESH intervenes in two main modalities: individual support (AESH-i) and collective support (AESH-co). Each modality addresses specific needs and offers distinct advantages for the students involved.
Individual support is aimed at students requiring intensive and personalized human assistance. This modality is prescribed by the Commission on Rights and Autonomy for Disabled Persons (CDAPH) after assessing the specific needs of the student. The AESH-i typically follows one student and adapts their intervention to their particularities.
Collective support concerns several students grouped in a specialized system, such as ULIS (Localized Units for School Inclusion). The AESH-co works under the responsibility of the coordinating teacher and contributes to the overall functioning of the system.
The specifics of support in ULIS
ULIS are inclusion systems that allow the schooling of students with disabilities in mainstream schools. The AESH-co plays a versatile role there: facilitating specific activities, assisting learning in small groups, and supporting during inclusion times in regular classes.
This support modality promotes social learning and the development of autonomy. Students benefit from both specialized support in ULIS and partial inclusion in regular classes, creating a balance between specific needs and socialization.
The AESH-co must demonstrate great adaptability to meet the varied needs of the students in the system. This versatility presents both a challenge and a considerable professional enrichment.
🎯 Optimization of support
The quality of support does not depend solely on the AESH/student ratio, but on the relevance of interventions and their coherence with the personalized schooling project. A less intensive but better-targeted support can prove more beneficial than a constant presence that is poorly adjusted.
4. Students concerned by AESH support
Support from an AESH is aimed at a wide variety of students with special educational needs. This diversity requires professionals to have an in-depth knowledge of the different types of disabilities and their pedagogical implications.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a significant portion of the support provided. These students may have communication difficulties, sensory peculiarities, and specific structuring needs. The AESH adapts the environment, facilitates social interactions, and helps manage transitions.
Learning disorders (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysorthographia) require targeted support focused on compensatory strategies. The AESH assists in implementing pedagogical adjustments and developing adaptive tools.
Each type of disability requires a specific approach. AESH receive targeted training to understand the peculiarities of each disorder and adapt their interventions accordingly. This specialization ensures the quality of support.
Support for behavioral disorders
Students with behavioral disorders (ADHD, oppositional disorders, anxiety disorders) benefit from support focused on self-regulation and emotional management. The AESH offers calming strategies, helps structure time, and promotes the acquisition of social skills.
This behavioral intervention requires close coordination with the medical and paramedical team following the student. The AESH participates in schooling follow-up teams and contributes to evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies implemented.
Crisis management is part of the skills developed by AESH supporting these student profiles. They learn to anticipate difficulties, de-escalate tensions, and propose constructive alternatives to inappropriate behaviors.
COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES: a support tool
Our educational application COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES adapts particularly well to the needs of students supported by AESH. Its customization features allow adjusting the difficulty according to each child's abilities.
AESH can use COCO to create structured learning moments, measure progress objectively, and offer motivating activities. The mandatory sports break also helps manage the attention and hyperactivity of certain students.
5. Training and Qualification of AESH
The professionalization of the AESH profession comes with increasingly rigorous training requirements. The DEAES (State Diploma of Educational and Social Accompaniment) is now the preferred access route, ensuring a solid and recognized skills base.
The DEAES training covers four fundamental areas of competence: positioning oneself as a professional in the field of social action, supporting the person on a daily basis and in close proximity, cooperating with all concerned professionals, and participating in the animation of the social and civic life of the person.
This theoretical training is enriched by practical internships allowing for real-life situations. Future AESH discover the diversity of the supported audiences and develop their adaptability to different intervention contexts.
Continuous Training and Specialization
Beyond initial training, AESH benefit from continuous training throughout their careers. These trainings focus on the evolution of scientific knowledge regarding disabilities, new pedagogical approaches, and the use of innovative technological tools.
Specializations are also possible according to field needs: support for autism spectrum disorders, behavioral disorders, sensory disabilities, or the use of assistive technologies. This skill enhancement directly benefits the quality of the support provided.
Practice exchanges between professionals constitute another lever of informal but crucial training. Experienced AESH pass on their know-how to newcomers, creating a dynamic of continuous improvement of practices.
Key skills developed in training:
- Knowledge of different types of disabilities and their implications
- Learning support techniques and adapted pedagogical strategies
- Communication with children with specific needs
- Collaboration with educational and medical teams
- Use of digital tools and assistive technologies
- Management of crisis situations and calming techniques
6. The daily challenges of the AESH profession
The AESH profession presents specific daily challenges that require great adaptability and strong emotional resilience. These professionals constantly navigate between the individual needs of the accompanied student, the demands of the class group, and the educational objectives set by the teacher.
One of the main challenges lies in the dosage of intervention. The AESH must find the balance between necessary support and the development of autonomy, between protection and educational risk-taking. This right measure is refined with experience and a deep understanding of the accompanied student.
Time management is also a major challenge, particularly for AESHs who support multiple students or who work in different establishments. The effective organization of interventions and the transition between different contexts require developed organizational skills.
Collaboration with educational teams
Harmoniously integrating into educational teams is a crucial issue for the effectiveness of support. The AESH must understand the functioning of the establishment, adapt to the pedagogical methods of the teachers, and contribute positively to the class dynamic.
This collaboration requires developed communication skills and the ability to position oneself professionally. The AESH brings their expertise in disability while respecting the pedagogical authority of the teacher and fitting into the establishment's project.
Exchange and coordination times with teachers, although crucial, are not always sufficiently formalized. This time constraint can complicate the implementation of truly personalized and evolving support.
💪 Resources to overcome challenges
AESH can rely on various resources: training offered by the National Education, practice analysis groups, support from reference AESH, and the use of digital tools that facilitate their daily work. The sharing of experiences among colleagues also constitutes a valuable support.
7. The impact of AESH support on academic success
The positive impact of AESH support on the academic success of students with disabilities has been documented by numerous studies. This success is measured not only in terms of knowledge acquisition but also personal development, self-esteem, and social integration.
Individualized support allows for adapting the learning pace to the student's abilities, breaking down complex tasks, and proposing alternative strategies when traditional approaches prove insufficient. This personalization significantly fosters academic engagement and motivation.
Beyond academic results, AESH support contributes to the development of autonomy and social skills. Students gradually learn to self-regulate their learning and to interact more easily with their peers and the adults in the establishment.
The benefits for the entire class
Contrary to some preconceived ideas, the presence of an AESH benefits the entire class, not just the supported student. The differentiated pedagogical approaches implemented often benefit other students with learning difficulties, even without recognition of disability.
The presence of a student with a disability accompanied by an AESH raises the entire class's awareness of issues of difference and tolerance. This inclusion experience fosters the development of empathy and civic values among all students.
Teachers frequently report the pedagogical enrichment brought by collaboration with an AESH. This cooperation leads them to diversify their approaches and develop new skills in inclusion and pedagogical differentiation.
The evaluation of the effectiveness of the AESH support relies on multiple indicators: progress in learning, development of autonomy, quality of social interactions, emotional well-being of the student, and family satisfaction. This holistic approach allows for adjusting the support to real needs.
8. Digital tools in support of assistance
The integration of digital tools in AESH support revolutionizes professional practices and significantly enriches intervention possibilities. These technologies offer new learning modalities particularly suited to the specific needs of many students with disabilities.
Educational applications allow for advanced personalization of learning activities, precise tracking of progress, and enhanced motivation through gamification. The interactivity and playful aspect of these tools capture students' attention and facilitate the assimilation of complex concepts.
For students with attention disorders or concentration difficulties, digital tools provide the opportunity to sequence learning into short and stimulating units. This approach respects specific attention rhythms while maintaining a high level of engagement.
COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES: the perfect alliance
Our application COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES perfectly illustrates innovation in the service of school inclusion. Specifically designed for children with special needs, it offers more than 30 educational games covering all fundamental learning areas.
The application automatically enforces a sports break every 15 minutes of screen time, addressing the movement needs of children with ADHD while teaching responsible screen use. This holistic approach perfectly supports the work of AESH in the classroom.
Digital accessibility
Assistive technologies play a crucial role for students with certain disabilities. Screen reading software, adapted keyboards, alternative communication systems: these tools compensate for specific difficulties and allow access to learning in optimal conditions.
The AESH trained in the use of these technologies becomes a true technological facilitator. They help the student master these tools, adapt digital resources, and coordinate with the technical team of the institution to optimize the accessibility of the digital environment.
This technological dimension of the profession requires continuous training, as innovations are rapid in this field. AESH must stay informed of new developments and experiment with new tools to enrich their intervention repertoire.
9. Collaboration with families
The quality of collaboration between AESH and families is a determining factor in the success of support. This partnership requires mutual trust, regular communication, and respect for each person's role in the child's education.
Families provide invaluable knowledge about their child: their preferences, motivations, difficulties, and adaptation strategies developed over time. This family expertise perfectly complements the professional expertise of the AESH and significantly enriches the support approach.
Communication with families occurs through various channels: informal exchanges during welcome times, participation in school monitoring teams, transmission of information via the liaison book, or specific meetings to review the progress of the support.
Managing expectations and concerns
Families of children with disabilities often have legitimate concerns regarding their child's education. The AESH plays a reassuring role by demonstrating professionalism, explaining their interventions, and highlighting observed progress, even the most modest.
Sometimes family expectations do not exactly match the real possibilities of support. The AESH must then demonstrate pedagogy to explain the framework of their intervention, their objectives, and their limits, while maintaining a constructive and caring relationship.
The continuity between school support and family education enhances the effectiveness of interventions. When approaches complement each other harmoniously, the child develops their autonomy and confidence in their abilities more quickly.
🤝 Tips for Successful Collaboration
Clear, regular, and caring communication forms the basis of any successful collaboration with families. The AESH benefits from valuing parental skills while bringing their professional expertise. This reciprocity enriches the support and strengthens the commitment of all stakeholders.
10. The Career Development Perspectives
The AESH profession is constantly evolving, both in terms of professional recognition and the broadening of missions and career perspectives. This positive dynamic reflects societal awareness of the importance of school inclusion and the quality of the support provided.
The creation of the referent AESH status represents a first step towards a hierarchy in the profession. These experienced professionals supervise and train new AESHs, contribute to improving practices, and can evolve into coordination or training roles.
Bridges to other support professions are also multiplying. The DEAES opens up perspectives in the medico-social sector, home assistance, or social animation. This professional mobility values the experience gained and offers diverse career advancement opportunities.
The Evolution of Professional Practices
Support practices are constantly evolving under the influence of scientific advancements, technological innovations, and field experience. Approaches based on cognitive neuroscience increasingly influence intervention strategies, particularly for learning disorders.
The growing use of digital technology is also transforming support methods. AESHs are gradually integrating technological tools into their daily practice, requiring continuous training to master these innovations.
The collaborative dimension of the profession is also strengthening. AESHs are increasingly working in multidisciplinary teams with psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and other professionals in the medico-social sector. This coordinated approach optimizes the effectiveness of the overall support for the student.
The future of the profession is moving towards increased specialization according to types of disabilities, a strengthened integration of digital technology, and improved statutory recognition. These developments promise to further enrich the quality of support provided to students with disabilities.
11. Training and development of AESH
The continuous professional development of AESH represents a major challenge to maintain and improve the quality of support. The training offered must adapt to the evolution of scientific knowledge on disabilities and pedagogical innovations.
Initial training prepares for the fundamentals of the profession, but field experience often reveals specific needs for improvement. Continuing education modules allow for a deeper exploration of certain aspects: managing behavioral disorders, using assistive technologies, or alternative communication techniques.
The analysis of professional practices is a particularly valued training lever. These exchange times allow AESH to share their experiences, collectively solve encountered difficulties, and discover new approaches developed by their colleagues.
Action research in support
Some AESH engage in action research initiatives to improve their practices and contribute to the evolution of the profession. These initiatives, often conducted in partnership with training institutions or universities, enrich professional knowledge and enhance field expertise.
These research initiatives focus on concrete issues: the effectiveness of certain support strategies, the impact of digital tools, or optimizing collaboration with educational teams. The results benefit the entire profession.
Participation in conferences, seminars, or working groups is also a form of professional development. These events allow one to stay informed about sector developments and expand their professional network.
Priority areas for continuing education:
- Deepening knowledge about specific disorders
- Mastery of digital tools and assistive technologies
- Behavioral management techniques
- Alternative and augmentative communication methods
- Interprofessional collaboration and teamwork
- Evaluation of progress and adaptation of interventions
12. Evaluating the effectiveness of support
The regular evaluation of the effectiveness of AESH support allows for adjustments to interventions based on the evolving needs of the student and measures the impact of the strategies implemented. This evaluative approach relies on objective indicators and qualitative observations.
Academic progress is a primary indicator, but evaluation cannot be limited to this. The development of autonomy, improvement of social skills, evolution of academic motivation, and emotional well-being are equally important dimensions to consider.
This evaluation involves all stakeholders in the support: the AESH themselves, the teacher, the student and their family, as well as other professionals working with the child. This collaborative approach ensures a comprehensive and nuanced view of the situation.
Adapted evaluation tools
Specialized observation grids allow for detailed documentation of behavioral changes and progress in various areas. These standardized tools facilitate comparisons over time and communication between professionals.
Digital portfolios are also developing as evaluation supports. They gather school productions, observations, activity photos, and testimonials, providing a longitudinal and qualitative view of the progress made.
The student's self-evaluation, adapted to their abilities, is an often-overlooked but important aspect. It develops their capacity for reflection on their learning and strengthens their sense of agency in their educational journey.
The contributions of COCO in evaluation
The use of applications like COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES greatly facilitates the evaluation of progress. The performance data collected automatically allows for an objective and precise tracking of developments in different cognitive areas.
Progress graphs, detailed statistics, and temporal comparisons provide AESH and educational teams with reliable evaluation tools to adjust support and highlight progress to families.
Frequently asked questions about AESH and AVS
The request for AESH support must be addressed to the Departmental House for Disabled People (MDPH) in your department. The file includes a request form, recent medical certificates, and a life project describing your child's needs. The multidisciplinary team will evaluate the request and the Commission for the Rights and Autonomy of Disabled People (CDAPH) will decide on the allocation of human assistance.
Individual support (AESH-i) consists of dedicated human assistance for a single student, defined in terms of weekly hours according to their needs. Collective support (AESH-co) concerns several students grouped in a specialized system like an ULIS. The choice depends on the needs assessed by the CDAPH and the resources available in the school.
Yes, AESH support can include extracurricular times (cafeteria, recess, study) if this is provided for in the CDAPH notification. These support times are particularly important for students with difficulties in autonomy or socialization. The AESH then helps the child with daily tasks and facilitates their interactions with other students.
The duration of support varies according to the student's needs and can cover the entire schooling if necessary. The CDAPH notification specifies the duration of allocation, generally from 1 to 3 years, with the possibility of renewal. The goal is to develop autonomy, and support can be gradually reduced based on the progress made by the student.
In case of difficulties, first contact the designated teacher to organize a schooling follow-up team. This meeting will allow for an analysis of the situation and adjustments to the support if necessary. If problems persist, you can contact the MDPH to reassess the needs or request mediation. As a last resort, a contentious appeal to the administrative court remains possible.
Support your child with COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES
Discover our educational app specially designed for children with specific needs. Over 30 educational games, a sports break every 15 minutes, and personalized support for each child's profile.