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Home > Teaching Specialties > Special education
Special education
 Special education teachers are in high demand today due to a growth in population, enhanced testing programs and legal requirements for meeting the needs of special needs students. This is a teaching job rife with challenge as teachers must work with students who suffer from physical, perceptual, developmental, or emotional problems. This position requires a great deal of patience and deep compassion.
Interestingly, many school districts in varying states are hiring candidates who are not yet certified in special education, but are currently pursuing their teaching degrees. The districts are then paying for the classes these teachers need for full certification. This provides a unique opportunity for those eager to break into education or to make a career change.
Special education teachers must be organized, patient, motivational, and of course mindful of their students' special needs. They must be accepting of differences in others.
Important Points about Teaching Special Education
 All states require teachers to be licensed. This demands the completion of a special education teacher training program and at least a bachelor's degree, although some states require a master's degree.
Many states offer alternative licensure programs to attract college graduates who have no training in education.
Excellent job prospects are expected due to rising enrollments of special education students and reported shortages of qualified teachers.
Who are Special Needs Students?
Special education teachers work with children and youths who have a variety of disabilities. A small number of special education teachers work with students with severe cognitive, emotional, or physical disabilities, primarily teaching them life skills and basic literacy. However, the majority work with children with mild to moderate disabilities. These teachers usually use or modify the general education curriculum to meet the child's individual needs and provide required remedial instruction. Most special education occurs at the K-12 level, although some work with infants and toddlers.
Students who require special education usually have a disability such as specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, visual impairments, autism, combined deafness and blindness, traumatic brain injury, and other health impairments. Students are identified under one or more of these categories. Early identification of a child with special needs is an important part of a special education teacher's job, because early intervention is essential in educating children with disabilities.
Special Education Teaching Methods
Special education teachers use various techniques to promote learning. Students may need intensive individualized instruction, while others may be able to compute problem-solving assignments and carry out small-group work. Special education teachers ensure that appropriate accommodations are provided for students who need them, such as having material read orally or extending test-taking time.
Special education teachers help to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each student. The IEP sets personalized goals for the student and is tailored to that student's individual needs and abilities. When appropriate, the program includes a transition plan outlining specific steps to prepare students for middle school or high school. For older students, it might include a plan which prepares them for a job or postsecondary study. Teachers review the IEP with the parents, school administrators, and the student's general education teachers. Teachers work closely with parents to inform them of their children's progress and offer up techniques to help continue learning outside of school.
Just as a general education teacher prepares lesson plans, special education teachers design and teach appropriate curricula, assign work and grade papers and homework assignments. They are involved in the student’s behavioral, social, and academic development, helping them develop emotionally and interact effectively in social situations.
Another important duty is preparing special education students for daily life after graduation. Teachers provide students with career counseling or help them learn life skills, such as balancing a checkbook.
As schools become more inclusive, special education teachers are invited into general education classrooms to work more closely with their students. Special education teachers help general educators adapt curriculum materials and teaching techniques to meet the needs of students with disabilities. They coordinate the work of teachers, teacher assistants, and related personnel, (such as therapists and social workers), to meet the individualized needs of the student. A large part of the job involves communicating and coordinating with others who influence the child's well-being, including parents, social workers, school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, school administrators, and other teachers.
Special Education Settings
Special education teachers work in a variety of settings. Some have their own classrooms and teach only special education students; others work as special education resource teachers and offer individualized help to students in general education classrooms. Still others teach together with general education teachers in classes including both general and special education students.
Some teachers work with special education students for several hours a day in a resource room, separate from their general education classroom. As we see classrooms becoming more accommodating, considerably fewer special education teachers work in residential facilities or tutor students in homebound or hospital environments.
Some special education teachers work with infants and toddlers in the child's home with his or her parents. Many of these infants have challenges that slow or preclude normal development. Special education teachers help parents learn techniques and activities designed to stimulate the infant and encourage the growth and development of the child's skills. Toddlers usually receive their services at a preschool where special education teachers help them develop social, self-help, motor, language, and cognitive skills, often through the use of play.
Use of Technology
Technology is becoming increasingly important in special education. Teachers use specialized equipment such as computers with synthesized speech, interactive educational software programs, and audiotapes to assist children.
Work Environment
Special education teachers enjoy the challenge of working with students with disabilities and the opportunity to establish meaningful relationships with them. Although helping these students can be highly rewarding, the work also can be emotionally demanding and physically draining. The physical and emotional demands of the job even cause some special education teachers to leave the occupation.
Many special education teachers are under considerable stress due to heavy workloads and administrative tasks. They must produce a substantial amount of paperwork documenting each student's progress. They also work under the threat of litigation against the school or district by parents. Recently passed legislation, however, is intended to reduce the burden of paperwork and the threat of litigation.
Some schools offer year-round education for special education students, but most special education teachers work only the traditional 10-month school year.
Employment
Special education teachers held a total of about 473,000 jobs in 2008, most in public and private institutions. A few worked for individual and social assistance agencies or residential facilities, or in homebound or hospital environments.
Earnings
The median annual salary for special education teachers who worked primarily in preschools, kindergartens, and elementary schools in 2008 was $50,020. The middle 50 percent earned between $40,480 and $63,500. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,770, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $78,980.
Median annual wages of middle school special education teachers were $50,810. The middle 50 percent earned between $41,720 and $63,480. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,180, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $78,200.
Median annual wages of special education teachers who worked primarily in secondary schools were $51,340. The middle 50 percent earned between $41,810 and $65,680. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,150, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $82,000.
In 2008, about 64 percent of special education teachers belonged to unions or were covered by union contracts.
In most schools, teachers receive extra pay for coaching sports and working with students in extracurricular activities. Some teachers earn extra income during the summer, working in the school system or in other jobs.
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