What is a Special Needs Teacher?
Special needs teachers educate children who have mental and or physical disabilities, such as mental retardation, emotional disturbance, learning problems, language impairments, traumatic brain injuries, or blindness or deafness. Some children may have disabilities that are so severe a teacher is limited to only providing them with instruction on life skills and basic literacy. The majority of special needs children have moderate disabilities and are able to study similar curriculum as other children but on a remedial level.
Special needs teachers help develop Individualized Education Programs that are specifically tailored to meet each child’s specific learning needs. These programs may require them to modify educational materials, provide specific accommodations, use alternative learning techniques, and closely monitor progress. But just like any other teachers, they also teach lessons, oversee course work, grade papers, and assign homework.
Special needs teachers work in public and private schools that instruct students ranging from preschool to high school. They work during the traditional 10 month academic year and follow regular school hours, although it is not uncommon for them to work evenings or weekends to fulfill requirements.
How to Become a Special Needs Teacher
Those interested in becoming special needs teachers should earn at least a bachelor’s degree in special education or a specialized area of it like early childhood special education, education of developmentally delayed individuals, education of mentally handicapped, or education of the physically handicapped.
In these types of majors, students learn about people who have disabilities and what their needs are when it comes to learning and education. Common courses include Human Development, Special Needs Assessment, Educational Psychology, Behavior Management of Exceptional Children, Reading Difficulties Theory, Cognitive Development and Disabilities, Intervention Strategies, and Psychoeducational Assessment. Most programs also require students to spend a year teaching under the supervision of a certified special education instructor.
Before one can teach special needs children independently, they must obtain a license from the State they desire to work in. Requirements for licensure typically include graduation from a teaching program, earning a certain amount of credits in special education, supervised practice, and the passing of a professional assessment test. Most special education teachers start their careers in entry-level or assistant positions before advancing to jobs as supervisors or administrators.
Special Needs Teacher Career Outlook & Salary
With a growing awareness of disabilities and how they effect learning, more teachers are needed who can help special needs students reach their potential. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of special education teachers is projected to increase by 17% within the next decade. This is due to more children being diagnosed with disabilities at an earlier age, legislation calling for better training and employment for disabled individuals, educational reforms raising graduation standards, and a hirer number of parents who are putting their children in special needs services.
While employment opportunities are expected to be good, those who want to succeed in this field should try to become as qualified as possible. Special education teachers who have advanced degrees, specialize in a particular disability, and speak more than one language will have the best and most lucrative careers.
The Bureau reported that special education teachers who worked with preschool through elementary school children earned a median annual salary of $50,020 in May 2008, those working with middle school children earned $50,810, and those working with high school children earned $51,340.
