What it’s about:

The special education major prepares you to meet the educational, social, emotional, and vocational needs of infants, children, and young, adults with disabilities. Your professional preparation includes specialized course work, field experiences with children with disabilities, and student teaching.

What the study of this major is like:

Special education refers to instruction that is specifically designed to meet the needs of student with varying types of disabilities and ranging in age from infancy to 21. In this major you develop skills in educational assessment and instruction for these students and in working with their families. Course work field experiences, such as assisting in a special education classroom.

In your first and second years as a major, you will probably take introductory and core courses in education, psychology, and child development, along with general studies. In your third year, you explore the types of disabilities you are likely to encounter in your work. In addition, you observe classroom and obtain supervised field placement experience.

In field placement, you receive hands-on experience education setting, such as a regular classroom, resource room, self-contained classroom vocational – technical school, or institution. During your first experience you spend most of you are placed; but as you progress, you gradually assume greater responsibility. In your fourth year, you take advanced courses in special education, along with electives, and do student teaching. By then, you will do most, if not all, of the teaching.

Being a special education teacher often means being an “educational manager” – the person who coordinates all the education and training a child receives. Many student with disabilities require the services of several professionals (such as school psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists). As a special educator, you need to know what role these professionals will play in a student’s education and the other services providers will function as a multidisciplinary team – each contributing professional and personal skills for the benefit of the child.

Several features distinguish special education program. First, colleges vary in their approach offer dual programs in elementary and special education, with less emphasis on special education then in a program focusing on that field alone. Further, some program offer a generalized treatment of special education, while in others you can specialize by age level or type of disability. While some program take four years to complete, others take five; some offer graduate credits and/or degrees in conjunction with the bachelor’s program. Colleges also differ in the amount of required field experiences. Finally, special education programs may be distinguished by their emphasis on inclusion of individuals with disabilities in community setting and on research to inform your teaching.

Majors are expected to demonstrate professional behaviour from the first semester they are placed in classroom. Professional behaviour includes punctuality, time management, and the ability to interact as an adult with students, school staff, and students’ parents. Opportunities to establish a network of potential job contacts begin the day you start your field placement. A career in special education is rewarding, exciting, and intellectually challenging.

Career options and trends:

Special education teacher*; special education instructional assistant; special education advocate; education administrator*; parent educator; psychologist; lobbyist; policy analyst; educational researcher.

The special education major prepares you to work in a school or institutional setting. With graduate study, students often pursue careers as administrators of special education. Advanced training may also lead to a career as a speech/language pathologist, audiologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, school psychologist, school counsellor, evaluation specialist, teacher trainer, parent/community coordinator, rehabilitation counsellor, vocational/special needs teacher, or license is required for teaching in public elementary and secondary schools.

Job opportunities in special education are excellent. All areas of special education are in the process of evolving especially at the early childhood and secondary/transition levels. All regions of the country are experiencing shortages of special education teachers, and long-term projections indicate that the shortages will continue.

Source: CollegeBoard 2012 Book of Majors