The Professional Self in SchoolBased Educational Support Roles: The EdAsCo Profile SelfAssessment Questionnaire

Abstract

The role of communication and autonomy support assistants currently occupies a critical position within the Italian inclusive education system. However, this role remains suspended within an area of precarious professional identity, characterised by weak role definition, significant training heterogeneity, and insufficient contractual protection. Considering recent regulatory developments (Law 205/2017; Law 145/2018; Law 55/2024), this contribution proposes a shift of perspective: its re‐centres analysis on the educational professional in schools and investigates how educators and communication assistants construct and represent their own professional self. The study, carried out in the provinces of Brindisi, Taranto, and Lecce, employs the EdAsCo Profile research instrument to examine professional beliefs, emotional experiences, school-based engagement, and perceived observational and methodological competences. The article assesses the psychometric soundness of the tool and shows how the internal structure of these dimensions (each of which is constitutive of the professional self) contributes to shaping, orienting, and modulating educational practices within highly uncertain operational environments.