Special education teachers play a vital role in supporting students with a wide range of disabilities and learning difficulties. From developing the IEPs to providing special instructions, special educators work hand in hand to ensure that all students are given the opportunity to be successful, both academically and socially.
Indeed, special education teachers make up over 438,000 of the employed population of America in 2020, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics citation. These dedicated professionals work with students having disabilities and through developing their potentials, students engage in overcoming obstacles and will inscribe a mark that integrates into indelible stamps in their lives.
Developing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
One of the most crucial responsibilities of a special education teacher is to create and carry out an Individualized Education Program for the child as an education lawyer can share. A legal document, under which specific learning targets, accommodations, and services based on the particular needs of each individual student, are defined. To achieve this, special educators work collaboratively with parents, general educators, and relevant others in the development of comprehensive IEPs that effectively address the needs of both academic and functional skills.
Research has shown that students under IEPs show more academic improvement in schools compared to students without IEP services. Hence due to the designing and execution of individual IEPs, it is the prime responsibility of the special education teachers to give such specific instructions to fulfill each student’s learning target.
Providing Specialized Instruction
Special education teachers provide specialized instruction in self-contained or resource classrooms and in the general education setting with their non-disabled same-age peers. Drawing from evidence-based instructional practices, they deliver assistive technology in providing inclusive access and progress of the curriculum and toward IEP goals for students with disabilities.
According to our friends at K Altman Law, areas of specialized instruction may include, but are not limited to:
- Literacy and numeracy skills
- Communication and social skills
- Functional life skills
- Behavior management strategies
In a paper by the Journal of Special Education, learners with disabilities who were exposed to specialized instruction by competent special education teachers showed immense improvements in academics and social-emotional developments. Special educators enable students with diverse needs to achieve school success and develop the skills they need to succeed in life by providing targeted brain-based instruction.
Monitoring Student Progress
Special students require close monitoring of their progress. Teachers tend to continuously appraise the academic, behavioral, and functional performance of their students to appraise their instruction’s effectiveness and adjust IEPs. Special educators keep very good records of student progress and communicate regularly with parents and other team members so that students are given the maximum support for their success.
Research has shown that effective special education services depend on the research-based practice of ongoing progress monitoring. Special education teachers therefore collaborate with the other professional group through consistent progress monitoring so that they can make instructional decisions based on the data that are linked to the individual needs of the students.
Collaborating With Other Professionals
Special education teachers must also coordinate and collaborate with other professionals in the field, including general education teachers, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists, and administrators. They participate in team meetings, gathering resources and strategies, to coordinate services and offer a comprehensive way to best support their students. Effective collaboration means that students with disabilities receive the services and accommodations they need in order to achieve throughout school and post-graduation.
An article in The Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation even mentioned that collaborative work between special education teachers and the other professionals is connected to better student outcomes; higher academic achievements and better social-emotional functioning. Through work together, special educators and their counterparts get the chance to extend wider support toward the abundant needs of diverse students.
Advocating For Students And Families
Special education teachers are fierce advocates for their students with families. Special educators always work very hard to ensure that leverage is offered for the needs that a student with disability deserves, according to the federal law. All these advocates, including special educators, provide students and their families with resources, referrals, and emotional support throughout the special education process.
Further research strongly supports that, with special education teachers as good advocates, optimistic outcomes could result for a student with disabilities. Special educators advocate for a child’s rights and needs, ensuring that they receive the necessary support to become successful learners—both in school and beyond.
The hero of any special classroom is definitely a special education teacher. They dedicate their lives in this career to give opportunities to students with diverse needs, to defeat difficulties, and to reach their aspiration. Making IEPs, giving specialized instruction, monitoring progress, collaborating with other professionals, and advocating for students and families are ways special educators can fundamentally change the lives of the children they serve.
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