Special Education Teachers, Elementary School

Teach academic, social, and life skills to elementary school 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.

What They Do

Special education teachers work with elementary students who have learning disabilities, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorders, emotional challenges, or physical impairments. They create individualized education programs (IEPs) for each student, adapting lessons in reading, math, science, and social studies to match their unique learning needs and abilities. These teachers break down complex concepts into manageable steps, using hands-on materials, visual aids, technology, and specialized teaching methods to help students grasp foundational skills.

Programs That Prepare You

College programs linked to this occupation, ranked by graduate earnings

Special Education and Teaching(doctoral)Vanderbilt University, TN

Special Education and Teaching(masters)California State University-Los Angeles, CA

Special Education and Teaching(grad-cert)CUNY Lehman College, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)Fresno Pacific University, CA

Special Education and Teaching(masters)California State University-Fullerton, CA

Special Education and Teaching(masters)Pace University, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)Touro University California, CA

Special Education and Teaching(masters)Notre Dame de Namur University, CA

Special Education and Teaching(masters)CUNY Brooklyn College, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)California State University-Long Beach, CA

Special Education and Teaching(masters)California State University-East Bay, CA

Special Education and Teaching(masters)CUNY Hunter College, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)CUNY City College, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)Manhattan University, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)Hofstra University, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)Long Island University, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)CUNY Lehman College, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)St. John's University-New York, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)College of Staten Island CUNY, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)CUNY Queens College, NY

Special Education and Teaching(masters)California State University-Dominguez Hills, CA

Special Education and Teaching(masters)University of Washington-Seattle Campus, WA

Special Education and Teaching(masters)Point Loma Nazarene University, CA

Special Education and Teaching(masters)University of Illinois Chicago, IL

Special Education and Teaching(masters)California State University-Fresno, CA

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