Description
Teach academic, social, and life skills to preschool-aged students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
Interests
- Social
- Artistic
Work Values
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Independence
Work Styles
- Adaptability/Flexibility
- Integrity
- Self-Control
- Achievement/Effort
- Cooperation
Tasks
- Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
- Communicate nonverbally with children to provide them with comfort, encouragement, or positive reinforcement.
- Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, or social skills, to preschool students with special needs.
- Develop individual educational plans (IEPs) designed to promote students' educational, physical, or social development.
Work Activities
- Getting Information
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Detailed Work Activities
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
- Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
- Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Technology Skills
- Spreadsheet software
- Presentation software
- Device drivers or system software
- Electronic mail software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
Abilities
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Clarity
- Written Comprehension
Skills
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Social Perceptiveness
Knowledge
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Public Safety and Security
- Therapy and Counseling
Most Common Education Level
The “Most Common Education Level” refers to the level of education held by the majority of workers in a given occupation. For example, if the highest percentage of workers in a role have an Associate’s Degree, that suggests this is the typical educational requirement. Knowing this helps you plan how many years of education you may need to pursue that career.
Certificates
Certificate name
Certified Deaf InterpreterCertifying Organization
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
National Board Certification - Early Childhood through Young Adulthood - Exceptional Needs SpecialistCertifying Organization
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
Type
Specialty
Certificate name
Oral Transliteration CertificateCertifying Organization
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
Type
Core
Certificate name
Specialist Certificate: LegalCertifying Organization
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
Type
Specialty
Income Percentile
The income percentiles show how earnings are distributed within a profession. The 10th percentile means that 10% of workers earned less than that amount. The median (50th percentile) indicates that half of workers earned more, and half earned less. The 90th percentile reflects what the top 10% of earners in the field make.
| Income Percentile | Annual Income |
|---|---|
| Low (10%) | $57,650 |
| Median (50%) | $68,702 |
| High (90%) | $85,992 |
Income by Experience
This table shows how income typically grows with experience—from entry level (0–2 years), to mid-level (3–5 years), to senior level (6–8 years), to expert level (8+ years).
| Experience | Income |
|---|---|
Entry Level  | $66,181 |
| Mid Level | $74,046 |
| Senior Level | $71,905 |
| Expert Level | N/A |
Employability
There are currently 25,700 jobs in this career path. Over the next 10 years, that number is expected to increase to 26,100 positions, reflecting a projected growth of 2%.
The Projected Job Growth figure refers to the expected increase or decrease in employment within a specific career field over a certain period of time.
Projected Job Growth of 2%
Related Careers
The career information and data on this site incorporates information from O*NET Web Services, Lightcast, CareerOneStop, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). For more details regarding the data sources and the specific information sourced, click here.
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