Essential special education teacher skills

Have you ever considered working in special education? Special education teachers help students who have cognitive, emotional and physical differences. Learn more about what skills can help prepare an individual for the role and how they can be implemented in day-to-day responsibilities.

Special education teacher skills include teaching and modifying general education lessons, developing Individual Education Programs (IEPs), and collaborating with families and colleagues to meet the needs of students who have mild to moderate disabilities as well as students who are gifted/talented.

Examples of useful hard skills in this profession include knowledge of assistive technology, the ability to oversee and understand data collection and progress reporting, academic assessment and instructional strategies for specific disabilities.  

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to offer appropriate education at no cost to children with disabilities. This federal legislation protects the rights of students with disabilities to receive additional services that may help them access education. Students qualify for specialized services when they fall into one of 13 disability categories outlined by IDEA.

Special education teachers typically assist students from preschool through high school. They may co-teach in classrooms or facilitate instruction in a resource room exclusively focused on students with special needs. They may teach students one-on-one or in small groups according to the individual’s needs and abilities. 

Finally, special education teachers co-create IEPs for students based on their abilities and by collaborating with specialists, administrators and parents. IEPs outline students’ goals, including academic or behavioral milestones and services they are to receive.

Developing an Individualized Education Program stands as a fundamental technical requirement for teachers. IEPs serve as legal documents that outline student goals and services. Teachers must craft measurable goals and select appropriate accommodations and track student progress through regular reviews.

Critical thinking and analysis represent other core technical skills, as special education teachers assess students’ skills and determine their educational needs. This can involve classroom observations and formal testing. Making sense of test results and using that information to guide instruction requires analytical thinking.

Knowledge of special education law is required, as IDEA mandates that special education teachers hold full state certification or pass licensing exams — plus, have earned at minimum a bachelor's degree — when teaching in public schools. Through these educational pathways, educators can develop an understanding of the legal frameworks that protect student rights while safeguarding teachers professionally.

As mentioned, special education teachers in public schools are required to have a bachelor’s degree and a state-issued certification or license. Teachers in private schools typically need a bachelor's degree but may not be required to have a state license or certification.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, specialized teachers could potentially go on to mentor and lead other teachers, or transition to careers as school counselors or elementary, middle and high school principals. Some of those career paths may require advanced degrees.

Continuous professional education benefits special educators because they need to be informed of new strategies and methodologies for serving students. As new adaptive technology becomes available, it should be helpful if teachers are skilled at selecting the appropriate developments to suit the particular needs of individual students. Educators not only need to discern which advancements could be used in the classroom, but they must also develop an implementation strategy to maximize effectiveness. To ensure these enhancements reach their students, educators can benefit from advocating their students’ needs to administrators and other institutional leaders within their school system. 

Special education teachers should grasp the concept of the seven general cognitive abilities. These form the foundation for assessing learning disabilities and designing interventions. The Cattell-Horn-Carroll framework represents the most comprehensive and widely used theory of cognitive abilities. These broad special education teacher skills help educators identify patterns of cognitive deficits or other challenges in students:

• Comprehension knowledge (Gc): The depth and breadth of cultural knowledge, including language abilities and verbal information
• Fluid reasoning (Gf): The capacity to solve novel problems without relying on previously learned information
• Short-term memory (Gsm): Immediately storing and retrieving information within seconds (working memory)
• Long-term storage and retrieval (Glr): The ability to store and retrieve information over long periods
• Visual processing (Gv): Solving problems, including manipulating shapes, by analyzing and synthesizing visual stimuli 
• Auditory processing (Ga): Detecting and processing nonverbal auditory information, connecting to phonics instruction
• Processing speed (Gs): Quickly and fluently performing simple repetitive cognitive tasks

Understanding these cognitive abilities can help teachers design targeted interventions matching students’ processing strengths or weaknesses. The framework transforms assessment data into instructional strategies suitable for the student.

Creating connections with students and their families can provide a solid foundation for tracking progress. Strong relationship skills can help educators partner effectively with parents and work with general education teachers, specialists, administrators and parents to develop IEPs.

Fostering positive working relationships is important because educators and parents meet to discuss updates and changes to IEPs. Since the IEP team brings together various professionals along with families to craft individualized programs, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills can help everyone navigate complicated educational situations. Teachers can provide support to families who may feel overwhelmed trying to understand their child’s disability and educational needs.

Prospective teachers in this specialized field can benefit from cultural competency skills. Special needs students may come from different backgrounds, which requires teachers to develop strategies that are useful to students and understandable to parents. Special education teacher skills for addressing cultural context could include recognizing when a student comes from a bilingual background. For example, a student with dyslexia who speaks a different language at home and school will need a plan that takes a multilingual family into account. Identifying this cultural context helps teachers approach an individual plan in a different way.

Special educators may also work within general classrooms alongside other teachers. Depending on the situation, special education students may work in smaller groups, receive one-on-one instruction, or work in groups with typical students acting as peer mentors. Some students who need adaptive technology may also have an additional educator in the classroom for assistance. This inclusive co-teaching environment necessitates teamwork and collaborative abilities. Through collaboration with a larger team, special educators can work toward more optimal outcomes for students. 

Special education teachers may benefit from the following soft skills:

• Resourcefulness: Since special education teachers must develop different ways to present information that meet their students’ needs, they need to be creative. They may also help general education teachers adapt their lessons to students with disabilities.
• Patience: Some students may lack basic skills or present behavioral or social challenges. Special education teachers must be able to remain calm and present the same instruction repeatedly.
• Emotional intelligence: Educators with highly developed empathy and emotional awareness can provide a nurturing environment for students. This skill can also help teachers manage their own emotions in challenging situations with students or parents.
• Flexibility and adaptability: Educators must pivot their instructional approach quickly when strategies prove to be ineffective.
• Communication: Teachers must work with general education teachers, specialists, administrators and parents, so clear oral and written expression can enable everyone involved in a child’s development to stay informed.

What are some specific hard skills of a special education teacher that benefit an applicant? Consider adding assessment administration and knowledge of special education law if you’re applying for a special education teacher role. Job seekers can also spotlight their experience creating IEPs, gathering student data and monitoring progress.

Candidates could mention familiarity with disability categories like autism spectrum disorder or learning disabilities. Technical competencies like progress monitoring and behavior intervention planning demonstrate advanced knowledge.

Candidates may also consider mentioning relevant personal qualities in a cover letter, including patience, flexibility, communication, collaboration and problem-solving. Effective candidates can illustrate these qualities, for example, by sharing successful interventions or other tangible results.

Highlighting relevant certifications or specialties, like autism spectrum disorders or behavioral analysis, could help raise awareness of an applicant’s expertise.  

Are you interested in learning special education teacher skills? University of Phoenix offers online education degrees, including a Master of Arts in Education/Special Education and the Graduate Initial Teacher Certificate/Special Education.

Contact University of Phoenix for more information.