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Special Education Teachers, Preschool
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.
Other titles employers use
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher (ECSE Teacher) · Early Intervention Teacher · Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher) · Handicapped Teacher · Preschool Special Education Teacher · Resource Teacher · Severe/Profound Mental Handicaps Special Education Teacher · Special Education Resource Teacher
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual education plans (IEPs).
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, creative and analytical work.
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Writing
Subjects to know
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Public Safety and Security
- Therapy and Counseling
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Clarity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.5 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.4 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 5.0 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.7 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A master's degree 56%
- A four-year degree 32%
- A doctorate or professional degree 8%
- A two-year degree 3%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Device drivers or system software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Computer based training software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 5,650
- Job openings each year
- 120
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 27.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 5,650 | 120 | 27.3% |
| Iowa | 2,840 | 200 | 6.8% |
| Florida | 2,290 | 170 | 10.1% |
| California | 2,000 | 140 | 5.3% |
| Minnesota | 1,730 | 120 | 3.0% |
| Missouri | 1,670 | 110 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 1,460 | 100 | 3.5% |
| Washington | 1,170 | 110 | 14.7% |
| Colorado | 1,090 | 80 | 14.7% |
| Ohio | 1,060 | 70 | 7.1% |
| Illinois | 730 | 50 | 2.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 650 | 40 | 1.6% |
| South Carolina | 560 | 40 | 7.7% |
| Georgia | 460 | 30 | 9.5% |
| Arkansas | 430 | 30 | 13.2% |
| Louisiana | 390 | 30 | 5.4% |
| Oregon | 390 | 30 | 8.3% |
| North Carolina | 370 | 30 | 8.8% |
| Kansas | 360 | 30 | 2.9% |
| Texas | 350 | 30 | 12.9% |
| Utah | 340 | 30 | 36.0% |
| Wisconsin | 330 | 20 | 3.1% |
| Arizona | 320 | 20 | 3.2% |
| Connecticut | 310 | 20 | 3.3% |
| Mississippi | 260 | 20 | 4.0% |
| Indiana | 210 | 10 | 5.0% |
| Massachusetts | 210 | 20 | 10.5% |
| Nebraska | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Wyoming | 110 | 10 | — |
| Rhode Island | 100 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 90 | 10 | — |
| Maine | 90 | 10 | −10.0% |
| North Dakota | 90 | 10 | 12.5% |
| Vermont | 80 | 10 | — |
| Kentucky | 70 | 0 | — |
| Oklahoma | 70 | 0 | — |
| District of Columbia | 50 | 0 | 25.0% |
| New Hampshire | 50 | 0 | — |
| Idaho | 20 | 0 | 100.0% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Western Governors University
- Degrees each year
- 667
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 203
- Admit rate
- 81%
- Annual cost after aid
- $22,000
St. Joseph's University-New York
- Degrees each year
- 181
- Admit rate
- 71%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Towson University
- Degrees each year
- 162
- Admit rate
- 83%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Illinois State University
- Degrees each year
- 151
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
- Degrees each year
- 106
- Admit rate
- 75%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Northern Arizona University
- Degrees each year
- 103
- Admit rate
- 91%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Western Washington University
- Degrees each year
- 102
- Admit rate
- 91%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
Compare every college offering special education and teaching