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High School - Special Education Teacher

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Special education teachers assess and work with youth and children that have many different disabilities. A smaller percentage of these students have mental disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome and mental retardation. A special Ed teacher works with these children, primarily teaching them basic literacy and life skills. The majority of special needs students, which a special education teacher works with, have mild to moderate disabilities. The teacher often modifies the general education curriculum by writing individualized education plan objectives to meet each disabled students needs. A large percentage of special education teachers work with students from elementary to secondary school level but there are teachers that choose to work with toddlers and infants.

Other types of disabilities students have that make it necessary for them to be in special education programs include language and speech impairments, emotional disturbance, specific learning disabilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments, combined blindness and deafness, orthopedic impairments and other health disabilities. An important part of a special education teacher's job is early identification and intervention of a child with disabilities and special needs so they received the necessary and essential education.

The special Ed teacher develops an individualized education program or IEP for each special education student. The special education teacher tailors these personalized goals to student's individual learning ability and style. There is also a transition plan to prepare students through the school years or their postsecondary study. Special education teachers work closely with other teachers and their student's parents, to discuss their child's progress.

Common work activities include:

• Reviewing and researching the information in new student's files regarding their abilities and unique needs.
• Completing academic, social and behavior assessments on students to determine their strengths and challenges.
• Writing IEPs or individual education plans that will guide each student's learning based on realistic goals.
• Coordinating services of classroom support staff, professionals such as occupational, physical and speech and language therapists, counselors and other professionals that provide support to the students.
• Meeting with parents to review the IEP and record progress and problems.
• Making referrals to sources within the community that may be able to assist the child and/or the family.
• Grading and advancing students in an appropriate manner based on their disability or special learning needs.
• Helping children learn to use various tools such as computers, speech boards, wheelchairs, hearing aids or other devices.

Check out all of the online K-12 education programs offered by a variety of schools offering programs online in K-12 education.

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