Special Education Teachers Wanted!

Instructors and Teachers of Persons with Disabilities, or Special Education Teachers, mostly teach and educate children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities communication techniques, such as Braille or sign language, and rehabilitation skills to increase independence and mobility. They are employed in rehabilitation centers, specialized educational institutes and throughout the elementary and secondary school system.

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 mental retardation or autism, primarily teaching them life skills and basic literacy.

However, the majority of special education teachers work with children with mild to moderate disabilities, using the general education curriculum, or modifying it, to meet the child's individual needs.

Most special education teachers instruct students at the elementary, middle, and secondary school level, although some teachers work with infants and toddlers. The various types of disabilities that qualify individuals for special education programs include 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 classified under one of the categories, and special education teachers are prepared to work with specific groups. Early identification of a child with special needs is an important part of a special education teacher's job. Early intervention is essential in educating children with disabilities.

Instructors and teachers of persons with disabilities enjoy working, caring and giving. They prefer to perform some or all of the following duties:

• Instruct students who are blind or visually impaired in reading and writing Braille and in the use of special equipment
• Instruct students who are deaf or hearing impaired in lip-reading, finger spelling and sign language, according to individual communication needs
• Instruct students who are hearing impaired in formation and development of sounds for speech using hearing aids and other devices
• Instruct individuals with physical disabilities and their families in the use of rehabilitative techniques, prosthetic devices, wheelchairs and other equipment designed to minimize the effects of a disability
• Assist individuals with intellectual impairments and physical disabilities to develop life skills and provide job training and support.

A bachelor's degree in education, special education, or a related field such as psychology or social work, is usually required. Completion of an appropriate training program in rehabilitation or special education is required. Instructors of persons who are blind require certification by the National Institute for the Blind. Teachers who work in a public school system require a provincial teaching certificate.

Excellent job prospects are expected due to rising enrollments of special education students and reported shortages of qualified teachers.

Increasingly a bachelor's degree, completion of an approved teacher preparation program, and a license are required to qualify; many States require a master's degree.

For information on professions related to early intervention and education for children with disabilities, a list of accredited schools, information on teacher certification and financial aid, and general information on related personnel issues-including recruitment, retention, and the supply of, and demand for, special education professionals-contact: National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special Education, Council for Exceptional Children, http://www.special-ed-careers.org.

To learn more about the special education teacher certification and licensing requirements in your State, contact your State's department of education.

There are many post-graduate courses to take from college and universities with niche specialty training and advanced social and/or educational streams being the most popular. Many States offer alternative licensure programs to attract people into these jobs.

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