Special Education Degree
Special education degree programs offer students entry into rewarding careers working with people who have special educational needs. A career in special education is well suited to people with excellent interpersonal and organizational skills. Special education teachers are in increasing demand throughout the country. Special education colleges that offer online special education degree programs, or colleges with programs in disciplines such as speech therapy and audiology, are helping to meet the growing demand for special education teachers for students at all age levels.
Special Education Description
Special education is the field of teaching that involves working with students who have learning difficulties caused by conditions including autism, cerebral palsy, deafness, impaired speech, traumatic brain injury, and many others. Special education teachers and speech therapists are employed throughout the public and private schools at all age levels. They often work one on one with students to help them develop learning skills and basic competence in a variety of areas. Special educators also act as advocates for families dealing with all of the issues involved with raising a special needs child.
Special education teachers are required to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Most states have additional licensure requirements, including education beyond a general education bachelor’s degree. In most states, speech therapists are required to have a master’s degree or higher. There are many special education degree programs and speech therapy programs throughout the country. Special education colleges provide basic online special education degree programs augmented with the additional course work and hands-on experience in special education that is required for state licensure.
Career Opportunities in Special Education
Students who complete special education degree programs should have no problem establishing themselves in rewarding special education careers. Many states are facing shortages of special education teachers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, growth in special education jobs is expected to be faster than the average of all other occupations, with a 17 percent increase in the number of special education teachers between 2008 and 2018. Growth in demand for special education teachers and speech therapists is due to a rising special needs population and also to retirements and career shifts among current special education specialists. Many school districts are reporting shortages in qualified special education teachers, so programs through special education colleges offering an online special education degree will give new special education teachers entry into a career that is in high demand.
The career opportunities for special education teachers include not only work in public and private school classrooms, but also in other places such as special needs camps, after school programs, and with non-profit organizations that advocate for special needs citizens. In the coming years, there will be many job openings for teachers working with students with multiple disabilities or severe disabilities, such as autism, and for early intervention specialists working with infants and preschoolers. The need for special education teachers who are bilingual and can work with new immigrant students and their families are also increasingly in demand. In addition to basic teaching positions, graduates of special education colleges and special education degree programs will also move into careers in administration in schools and non-profit organizations.