Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities. They also teach basic skills, such as literacy and communication techniques, to students with severe disabilities.
Special education teachers work with general education teachers, counselors, school superintendents, administrators, and parents. The individuals they work with may also include speech-language pathologists; audiologists; school psychologists; physical therapists; occupational therapists; and interpreters for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Students in special education teacher college programs learn how to adapt curricula to meet the educational needs of their students. They receive training in specialized teaching methods that address the specific learning challenges that can affect children with mental retardation, blindness or deafness, autism or emotional disturbances.
Special education teacher colleges prepare students to become special education teachers. They offer programs that are suited to students who have a desire to help children with disabilities to achieve as much success as possible. Special education teachers may choose to specialize in working with children with visual impairments, hearing impairments, emotional impairments, physical impairments, or any combination of these. They are also able to work with children who have autism spectrum disorders or developmental delays.
Special education teacher colleges offer students opportunities for hands-on learning and experience with the populations they will be working with in the future. Students are given many opportunities during their coursework to interact directly with children with disabilities and learn how to best meet their needs. These student teaching experiences can be invaluable because they can give future teachers a sense of what it is like to plan lessons and then teach them as well as deal with any challenges that arise during the course of a day.
Special education teacher colleges may also offer courses on how to work effectively with parents and families of children who have disabilities. Parents of children who have disabilities often need extra support, so it is important for teachers to know how to work effectively and compassionately with these families.
Special education teachers help students with a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities.
To become a special education teacher you need to earn a bachelor’s degree in special education or a bachelor’s degree in a content area with a specialization in special education. Some states require special education teachers in public schools to have a master’s degree
Special education teachers work with children from preschool through high school, and they may also supervise teaching assistants, who are often called paraprofessionals. Special education teachers may also specialize in a particular type of disability, such as autism or hearing loss, or they may focus on a specific age group. Special education teachers work with other educators and parents to come up with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). IEPs list each student’s learning goals and objectives for the year, along with testing requirements and accommodations for each student.