How to Become a Special Education Teacher

Great teachers empathize with children, respect them, and believe that each one has something special that can be built on. Ann Lieberman

A career as a Special Education teacher will involve instructing students with emotional, physical, and learning disabilities. Special Education teachers may work with individuals of all ages from infants to adults. Their job will consist of helping their students develop problem solving, motor, and social skills needed to complete their education and live independent lives. They may work with their students on personal and life skills, not just academic advancement.

Qualities of a Special Education Teacher

Special Ed teachers must have fantastic communication skills since they will be working with students, parents, and educators. They must be able to work in a one-on-one setting with students as well as in a group setting. Being able to meet the individual needs of their students is very important. Good computer skills and organization skills are important due to needing to keep detailed records of each student's progress. Being familiar with assistive technology devices in a classroom is a plus. An encouraging personality as well as the ability to be creative and flexible are all great qualities for a special education teacher.

Job Growth

The employment growth for special education teachers is expected to be 6%. This will be driven by increased demand for special education services, and the need to replace teachers leaving their occupations.

What are the Requirements for Teaching Special Education?

All certified Special Education teachers in the United States must have at least a Bachelor's Degree and hold a state-issued license or certificate specific to teaching Special Education students. However, each state has their own specific licensing requirements.

Education Requirements for Teaching Special Education

Many universities and colleges offer special education degrees at the Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral level.

Classes will include gaining knowledge of disabilities like autism, downs syndrome, visual impairment, and more. Students will also learn practical procedures for teaching science, math, and reading skills to students with special needs. Specialized classes could examine topics like technology for differentiated instruction, low incidence disabilities, and more. Special Education training will also include curriculum development courses, and supervised classroom teaching.

Most Special Education teachers earn a degree in Special Education or Education. Click on the links to learn more about the degrees.

Special Education Teacher Preparation Program

If your school does not offer a degree in Special Education, you can enroll into a Special Education teacher preparation program after receiving your degree. This type of program will lead you toward becoming a certified Special Education teacher. Licensure/certification can be attained through the completion of a teacher education program that is accredited by CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation). Due to the high level of specialization in the area of special education, many states may require additional training before one obtains a professional license.

Tests to Pass for Teaching Special Education

Prospective special education teachers are also required to take and pass all special education content area assessments in order to obtain certification at the special education level. These standardized tests vary from state to state. Licensing and competency exams should be taken in the state where you wish to teach.

Special Education Teacher by Degree Level

The tables and charts below break down the education level obtained as averaged across the U.S.

Who Will My Students Be?

Special Ed teachers will have students with learning, physical, and emotional disabilities. They must be prepared to work with students who may be difficult to access and uncooperative. Many special education students may have delayed motor and social skills and will need to be worked with in these areas on a daily basis. Special education students can range from pre-k to 12th grade, depending on your area of specialty.

What Does A Special Education Teacher Do?

Special education teachers will work with students who have a wide range of disabilities ranging from learning, physical, mental, and emotional. They are responsible for adapting general education lessons to meet the needs of their students. Subjects taught include reading, writing and math as well as basic skills like literacy and communication techniques. Their students may have disabilities ranging from mild to moderate to severe.

On the Job Duties

Special education teachers must be able to meet their students' needs to ensure that each individual student receives proper attention and the assistance needed to succeed in school and life. This may include providing one-on-one assistance in the setting of a general classroom, adapting materials, providing appropriate testing opportunities, and more. Special education teachers provide the families of their students the tools they need to grow as independent individuals in their communities. These teachers work with parents, other teachers, and paraprofessionals to create individual education plans for their students in order to help meet the needs of the child.

Special Education Teacher Jobs & Job Description

A complex and demanding career path, the role of the special education teacher is difficult to encapsulate briefly, given that every teacher's caseload of students looks very different from the next. While there are similarities between elementary to secondary, below is outlined the similarities and differences between the two roles.

Elementary Special Education Teacher

Often considered a generalist (though perhaps with special interest or training in one or two areas of need) elementary special education teachers work hard to ensure that students with special needs are able to achieve all their abilities dictate that they can. Elementary special education teachers:

• Work with students who are intellectually gifted
• Work with students who have Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), autism, or Asperger's syndrome
• Work with students who are blind, low-vision, deaf, Deaf, or hard-of-hearing, or who have Central Auditory Processing Delays (CAP-D)
• Work with students who have physical disabilities, cognitive impairments, or developmental delays
• Work with students who have documented behavioral issues that affect learning in the mainstream classroom
• Work with students who may have a combination of any of these additional learning needs
• Assess student need in the classroom on a holistic basis
• Spearhead the formation of an Individual Education Plan each year as a working document for teachers, support staff, administrators, guardians/parents, and other professionals to contribute to in order to ensure best outcomes for teaching
• Act as a point of contact for internal and external stakeholders
• Outline accommodation and/or modification and/or alternate programming to classroom tasks
• Meet with parents/guardians and internal and external stakeholders for an annual review of IEP particulars and program goals, known as Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) meetings
• Suggest integration in the classroom environment where possible, feasible and beneficial to the student
• Become proficient in the use of and teaching of special resources like braille and braille typesetting machines, sign language (ASL) and working with ASL interpreters, best practices for using a scribe, computer hardware and software, print enlargers, FM systems and use of other AV materials as appropriate
• Suggest additional support for the student in order to foster safe attachment for learning and then independence
• Are specialists in relevant legislation for people with disabilities, education legislation, and advocacy measures
• Understand theories of child and adolescent development
• Are subject matter experts for classroom teachers and support staff for teaching and learning strategies
• Are subject matter experts for classroom teachers and support staff for relevant medical conditions and information
• Are capable of guiding classroom teachers toward finding appropriate assessment data that results in fair, though not equal, assessment
• Is a stakeholder for elementary school exemptions where applicable
• Engage in professional development on a continual basis
• Understand the medical, physical, behavioural, emotional and social implications of a particular diagnosis
• Advocate on behalf of the student's needs to classroom teachers and administration
• Provide mainstream students with strategies for perspective-taking and inclusion in classroom and extracurricular activities
• Mentor and advise professional support staff such as speech pathology, audiology, interpreting, psychological assessment, occupational therapy, social work and medical services
• Ensure that accommodations or modifications during instructional time are also in place during assessments
• Create a transition plan from year to year, and from elementary to high school with post-secondary planning being a relevant goal and timeline
• Engage in active listening with students, parents and other stakeholders
• Promote the school and district mission and vision statements
• Set academic and developmental goals for students to strive for - ensure that metrics are in place so that every success is measureable
• Communicate proactively and professionally about student assessment and behavior with teaching and non-teaching staff, individual students, their families and associated professionals, bearing in mind the impact of confidentiality regarding vulnerable persons
• Support the school's culture and practices for inclusion through extracurricular and co-curricular activities and staff leadership
• Conduct all work activities in a professional manner

High School Special Education Teacher

Often considered a specialist (though perhaps a generalist due to diversity of need or size of school population) high school special education teachers work hard to ensure that students with special needs are able to achieve all their abilities dictate that they can, and then some. High school special education teachers:

• Work with students who are intellectually gifted
• Work with students who have Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), autism, or Asperger's syndrome
• Work with students who are blind, low-vision, deaf, Deaf, or hard-of-hearing, or who have Central Auditory Processing Delays (CAP-D)
• Work with students who have physical disabilities, cognitive impairments, or developmental delays
• Work with students who have documented behavioral issues that affect learning in the mainstream classroom
• Work with students who may have a combination of any of these additional learning needs
• Assess student learning needs in the classroom on a holistic basis, taking into account the students current and past achievements, current cultural and familial framework, and future goals
• Spearhead the continuation of an accurate and effective Individual Education Plan each year as an editable working document for teachers, support staff, administrators, guardians/parents, and other professionals to contribute to in order to ensure best outcomes for student growth
• Act as a daily point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, including the student themselves as their individual need dictates
• Act as a friendly face and advocate, helping students learn the valuable skill of self-advocacy as they approach the end of high school
• Function as a resource for school to work transitioning
• Advocate for and promote students for extensive co-operative education placements both in and outside of the school
• Outline accommodation and/or modification and/or alternate programming to classroom tasks; keep rigorous metrics
• Proactively meet with parents/guardians and internal and external stakeholders for an annual review of IEP particulars and program goals, known as Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) meetings
• Promote and problem solve integration into the mainstream classroom environment where possible, feasible and beneficial to the student
• Become proficient in the use of and teaching of special resources like voice translators, Braille writers, amplification systems, speech analysis tools, communication aids, and FM systems
• Suggest beneficial reductions in support for the student to foster self-reliance, reduction in vulnerability, and independence
• Are specialists in relevant legislation for persons with disabilities at the state and federal levels, education legislation, and advocacy measures
• Understand theories of adolescent development and how special needs may alter these developmental arcs
• Assist classroom teachers and support staff in implementing and tracking alternate teaching and learning strategies
• Are subject matter experts for classroom teachers and support staff for relevant medical conditions and information
• Help guide classroom teachers toward finding appropriate assessment data that results in fair, though not equal, assessment
• Model and role-play self-advocacy skills for students in the classroom and in life-skills situations
• Engage in professional development on a continual basis
• Understand the medical, physical, behavioural, emotional and social implications of a particular diagnosis, how this may impact learning and life situations
• Advocate on behalf of the student's needs to classroom teachers and administration, either individually and on an ad-hoc basis or in a more formal setting
• In-service teaching staff, support staff and administration on student behavior and general best practices for interaction and engagement
• Provide mainstream students with strategies for patience and inclusion in classroom and extracurricular activities
• Mentor and advise professional support staff such as speech pathology, audiology, ASL interpreting, psychological assessment, occupational therapy, social work and medical services
• Ensure that accommodations or modifications during instructional time are also in place during assessments
• Create a transition plan from year to year, and from high school to post-secondary education or job training. Ensure timelines are accurate; work backward from end-goal.
• Engage in active listening with students, parents and other stakeholders
• Set academic and developmental goals for students to strive for - ensure that metrics are in place so that every small success is measureable
• Communicate proactively and professionally about student assessment and behavior with teaching and non-teaching staff, individual students, their families and associated professionals, bearing in mind the impact of confidentiality regarding vulnerable persons
• Support the school's culture and practices for inclusion through extracurricular and co-curricular activities and staff leadership
• Conduct all work activities in a professional manner

Certified special education teachers have many employment avenues open to them, including consultation, policy development, advocacy and administration. Read on to learn more.

Where Can Certified Special Education Teachers Teach?

Special Ed teachers can work in elementary schools, charter schools, and private schools.

Public Schools

Most public schools offer free special education services. Public schools will be free for students and will be supported by federal and state funds. These schools are required to admit any student who lives within the district, regardless of ability, ethnicity, or socioeconomic backgrounds. In public schools, special education teachers tend to work with a diverse group of children with varying needs. Prospective public special education teachers are often required to apply directly to the district prior to seeking employment at a specific school.

Private Schools

Since private schools charge tuition for a child to attend, special education services are generally not free. With that said, private schools are not required to offer special education services.

Many smaller private schools do not even offer special education services. With that said, families of students with special needs may be required to hire a private one-on-one aid to assist the child. These schools are generally governed by a private school board or organization and may have religious affiliations. If a prospective special education teacher is interested in teaching at a private school, they should check with the school in which they wish to teach to find out specific criteria. Many private schools do not have the same requirements for special education teachers as their public school counterparts. In most cases, merely experience or a Bachelor's degree will suffice.

Charter Schools

Charter schools are independent schools that do not require tuition. They have more flexibility than public schools, but are expected to perform better and have a greater accountability. Charter schools are typically smaller and more selective. They may have additional requirements for their education teachers. However, some charter schools may not have dedicated special education services. To inquire, contact the charter school of your interest.

Special Education Teacher Organizations & Associations

• NASET - National Association of Special Education Teachers
• CEC - Council for Exception Children
• IASE - International Association of Special Education
• NAPSEC - National Association of Private Special Education Centers

What is the Salary of a Special Education Teacher?

Across the nation, entry level Special Education teachers earn between $42,392 (Payscale.com) and $49,126 (Glassdoor.com). In addition to the salary, educators get great health and retirement benefits. An average yearly salary for Special Education teachers is $55,060 (BLS.gov) a year. Given the degree of specialty training that a special education teacher receives, he or she has an average salary that is somewhat higher than their mainstream counterparts, although private school teachers do earn less than public school teachers. Like other teaching roles, salaries are based mostly on experience and education. Special education teacher wages tend to level off around the $65,000 mark and experience, not education is the biggest factor to salary increase.

Visit our Teacher Salary-What to Expect? page to find out more.