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.

Also Known As:

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 Special Education Teacher Teacher

Wages

Annual wages for Special Education Teachers, Preschool in United States

Job Outlook Below Average

New job opportunities are less likely in the future

United States 2034 Projected Employment

29,700

1% Change From 2024

Explore Special Education Teachers video

Tasks you might complete in a day.

Confer with parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, or administrators to resolve students' behavioral or academic problems.
Administer tests to help determine children's developmental levels, needs, or potential.
Prepare assignments for teacher assistants or volunteers.
Prepare objectives, outlines, or other materials for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements.
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, or self-advocacy.
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment or materials to prevent injuries and damage.
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment or materials to prevent injuries and damage.
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.
Plan and supervise experiential learning activities, such as class projects, field trips, or demonstrations.
Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
Monitor teachers or teacher assistants to ensure adherence to special education program requirements.
Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
Organize and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their perceptual skills.
Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to maintain or improve professional competence.
Arrange indoor or outdoor space to facilitate creative play, motor-skill activities, or safety.
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
Collaborate with other teachers or administrators to develop, evaluate, or revise preschool programs.
Develop individual educational plans (IEPs) designed to promote students' educational, physical, or social development.
Confer with parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, or administrators to resolve students' behavioral or academic problems.
Encourage students to explore learning opportunities or persevere with challenging tasks to prepare them for later grades.
Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, or social development.
Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
Modify the general preschool curriculum for students with disabilities.
Control the inventory or distribution of classroom equipment, materials, or supplies.
Control the inventory or distribution of classroom equipment, materials, or supplies.
Present information in audio-visual or interactive formats, using computers, television, audio-visual aids, or other equipment, materials, or technologies.
Serve meals or snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.
Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.
Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
Establish and communicate clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects to students, parents, or guardians.
Meet with parents or guardians to discuss their children's progress, advise them on using community resources, or teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.
Prepare objectives, outlines, or other materials for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements.
Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual education plans (IEPs).
Communicate nonverbally with children to provide them with comfort, encouragement, or positive reinforcement.
Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual education plans (IEPs).
Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, or changing their diapers.
Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, or social skills, to preschool students with special needs.

Subject areas you may need to master.

Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Philosophy and Theology - Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Strengths you may need in this role.

Science - Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Installation - Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Programming - Writing computer programs.
Management of Material Resources - Managing equipment and materials.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Equipment Maintenance - Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Equipment Selection - Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Troubleshooting - Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Technology Design - Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Quality Control Analysis - Testing how well a product or service works.
Management of Financial Resources - Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Systems Analysis - Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Management of Personnel Resources - Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Operation and Control - Using equipment or systems.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Systems Evaluation - Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Mathematics - Using math to solve problems.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Manual Dexterity - Holding or moving items with your hands.
Night Vision - Seeing at night or under low light.
Auditory Attention - Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Finger Dexterity - Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Arm-Hand Steadiness - Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Speed of Limb Movement - Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Dynamic Strength - Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Visualization - Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Reaction Time - Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Depth Perception - Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Near Vision - Seeing details up close.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Category Flexibility - Grouping things in different ways.
Perceptual Speed - Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Stamina - Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Far Vision - Seeing details that are far away.
Hearing Sensitivity - Telling the difference between sounds.
Flexibility of Closure - Seeing hidden patterns.
Explosive Strength - Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Response Orientation - Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Extent Flexibility - Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Trunk Strength - Using your lower back and stomach.
Memorization - Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Time Sharing - Doing two or more things at the same time.
Gross Body Equilibrium - Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Glare Sensitivity - Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Gross Body Coordination - Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Peripheral Vision - Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Spatial Orientation - Knowing where things are around you.
Control Precision - Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Sound Localization - Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Rate Control - Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Visual Color Discrimination - Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Speed of Closure - Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Static Strength - Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.
Number Facility - Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Selective Attention - Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Wrist-Finger Speed - Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Mathematical Reasoning - Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Multilimb Coordination - Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Dynamic Flexibility - Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.