本研究主要目的在探討特殊教育助理人員的角色功能，包括現制生活輔導員的工作狀況，不同障礙類別、程度和特殊教有安置型態下的障礙學生對特教助理人員的需求程度，對特教助理人員的角色期待，以及特教助理人員進用的相關問題。研究方法採訪談法與問卷調查法。分別以「生活輔導員工作現況訪談大綱」與「特殊教育助理人員角色功能調查問卷」為研究工具。研究對象包括學者專家、學校行政主管人員、特教教師、生活輔導員和障礙學生家長，共成功訪談後四類人士41名，並獲得五類人士有效問卷582份，有效回收率79.51%。訪談部份的資料以受訪者之反應意見進行歸納整理；問卷資料以次數百分比、X2進行百分比同質性考驗及單因子多變量變異數分析等統計方法進行處理與分析。
本研究的主要發現如下：
一、現制生活輔導員的工作現況及所面臨的問題
（一）生輔員目前運作的情形：屬於輔助性的角色，協助與配合教師提供服務給學生和家長。主要在處理學生生活自理方面的問題（如上廁所、餵食等）、照顧生活起居、協助處理學生意外事件、協助生活自理能力訓練、協助教師處理學生情緒行為問題和跟隨交通車接送等工作項目。研究者分析生輔員與特教教師合作的方式有五種型態，其效果和問題各不相同。
（二）生輔員在特殊教育服務工作上所面臨的困難與問題：除分工合作方面的問題外，還包括資格與進用、編制與需求、請假制度及技巧與訓練等。
二、不同障礙類別、障礙程度及特殊教育安置型態下的身心障礙學生對「特殊教育助理人員」的需求程度
（一）「多重障礙」、「嚴重情緒障礙」、「智能障礙」和「肢體障礙」對特教助理人員的需求程度最高。
（二）障礙程度為「重度或極重度障礙」最需要特教助理人員。
（三）「有住宿的特殊學校」、「普通學校特教班」和「沒有住宿的特殊學校」最需要特教助理人員；其次是「特殊學生完全在普通班就讀」；僅有少數認為「普通學校資源班」需要特教助理。
三、對「特殊教育助理人員」的角色期待
（一）最重要的五項角色職責分別為：「協同教師對生活自理能力較差之學生作適當之處理」、「協助教師實施學生生活自理能力的訓練」、「學生意外事件與疾病之預防處理」、「協助教師處理課堂中學生突發的行為」和「協助訓練學生生活常規或禮儀」。專家學者、學校行政人員、特教教師及生活輔導員都把「生活照顧」的工作列為特教助理人員的首要工作，而家長則是將「生活照顧」和「教學支援」的工作均列為首要。對於「班務支援」和「聯繫協調」的角色職責，則較不重視。
（二）五類人士對特教助理人員的角色期待有某些差異存在。在 「教學支援」、「班務支援」和「聯繫協調」的角色期待方面，家長的期待顯著高於學校行政主管人員、特教教師和生輔員。
四、「特殊教育助理人員」進用的相關問題
（一）學歷要求：「專科」和「高中職」是最適當的學歷，尤以專家學者和生輔員的看法為然。
（二）所應具備的條件：「有服務熱忱」、「具備基本特教知能」、 「人際關係良好」、「具備基本復健知能」、「曾與障礙兒童有相處經驗」是特教助理人員應該具備的條件。
（三）編制方式：以「增置」的方式最理想，必要時可視學生需要而定，或增置或勻用。
（四）甄選方式：多數贊成「各學校自行公開甄選」，其次為公開為各縣市政府辦理；「透過國家考試」的支持度不高，「各校校長直接聘用」最不被支持。
（五）提供特教知能研習的單位：以「師資培育機構」最為適宜，其次是「主管教育行政機關」，最後才是「所屬學校自行規劃」。
（六）訓練課程的內容：「特殊兒童心理」、「行為改變技術」、「意外傷害處理」、「護理常識」和「教學團隊工作方法」是最適宜的訓練課程。
（七）合理薪資標準：以「另計薪資標準」最為合理。
（八）轉任：絕大多數贊成「可以轉任」為特教教師，尤以生輔員為然。轉任的方式大多數贊成透過「修足特教學分並經過考試及格或檢定合格」的方式，尤以行政人員為然。
（九）行政組織上所歸屬的處室：多數贊成歸屬於「輔導室」；其次是「教務處」與「訓導處」。
（十）考核：由「特教教師」、「特教組長」和「輔導主任」來考核最適當；其次是「家長」；再者為「校長」與「人評會」。

The main purposes of this study were to investigate the role functions of assistants of special education (AOSE) in Taiwan. The topics included the current status of the existing staff for custodial care, the needs of AOSE for disabled students in different categories, seriousness of disability, placements, role expectations and the employment-related problems. Fourty-one subjects were interviewed, comprised of administrators, teachers, staff for custodial care in special education, and the parents of disabled students. In addition, 582 subjects of experts in special education and the above four-category subjects were asked to complete a survey questionnaire. The effective return rate was 79.51%. The obtained data were analyzed by frequency distribution, chi-square test, and one-way MANOVA.
The main findings of this study were as follows:
1. In terms of current status and problems: (1) the existing staff for custodial care played an auxiliary role in special education. They assisted and collaborated with teachers to provide services to disabled students and their parents; (2) among the difficulties and problems the personnel faced were cooperation with teachers, accreditation and employment, system inclusion, holiday leave, and skills and training.
2. In terms of needs assessments: (1) there is a great need of AOSE for students with multiple impairments, emotional disturbances, mental retardation and physical handicaps; (2) the severely and/or profoundly disabled were in greater needs of AOSE than milder ones; (3) special schools and special classes in regular schools have the greatest needs of AOSE, followed by the regular classes with disabled students. Only a few subjects considered that the AOSE were needed in resource classrooms.
3. In terms of role expectations: (1) the most important roles and responsibilities of AOSE were reported to be assisting teachers to handle the problems of disabled students with poor self-care abilities, train students for self-care skills, handle the incidents and diseases of students, solve students' interrupting behaviors, and maintain classroom disciplines; (2) among the role functions of instructional assistance, day-care, clerical work, and coordination, the day-care function was most frequently emphasized. Besides, parents were also highly concerned about the function of instructional assistance; their expectations for the functions of instructional assistance, clerical work and coordination were also higher than those of administrators, teachers, and custodial-care staff.
4. In terms of employment: (1) educational levels of junior college and senior high schools were considered as appropriate for the AOSE; (2) the AOSE were required to have enthusiasm, basic knowledge of special education, good interpersonal relationship, basic knowledge of rehabilitation, and practical experience dealing with disabled children; (3) the ideal way of employment was to recruit "additional to" rather than "included in" the school staff; (4) the ideal way of recruitment was to be operated by the very school through a open and fair screening procedure; (5) the best way to provide on-the-job training for the AOSE were programs conducted by teachers colleges/uni-versities; (6) the training programs should include the following courses: psychology of special children, behavior modification, health care and safety, skills of special care, and team work skills; (7) the AOSE's pay scale was specially designed; (8) the majority of the subjects agreed that the AOSE be allowed to transfer to special education teachers through in-service training and accreditation; (9) the AOSE were better working in the school counseling unit; (10) the AOSE were better to be supervised and evaluated by special education teachers and/or counseling professionals.