Introduction
Working in the Special Education field can be difficult; it takes a lot of patience and you have to be prepared for anything. However, working with students with learning differences or special needs can be extremely enriching and rewarding. If you are considering becoming a special education teacher, you should be aware of the purpose of special education, the components of an IEP and the credentials required for the profession.
Special Education
Special education or special needs education is the education of students with special needs or learning disabilities in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and community than would be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education. Common special needs include learning disabilities, communication disorders, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, and developmental disabilities. Students with these kinds of special needs are likely to benefit from additional educational services such as different approaches to teaching, use of technology, a specifically adapted teaching area, or resource room.
It is important to note that intellectual giftedness is a difference in learning and can also benefit from specialized teaching techniques or different educational programs, but the term "special education" is generally used to specifically indicate instruction of students whose special needs reduce their ability to learn independently or in an ordinary classroom, and gifted education is handled separately. In most developed countries, educators are modifying teaching methods and environments so that the maximum number of students is served in general education environments. Special education in developed countries is often regarded less as a "place" and more as "a range of services, available in every school. " Integration and inclusion can reduce social stigmas and improve academic achievement for many students.
Individualized Education Program
All special needs students receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that outlines how the school will meet the student's individual needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that students with special needs be provided with a Free Appropriate Public Education in the Least Restrictive Environment that is appropriate to the student's needs. Government-run schools provide special education in varying degrees from the least restrictive settings, such as full inclusion, to the most restrictive settings, such as segregation in a special school. The education offered by the school must be appropriate to the student's individual needs. Schools are not required to maximize the student's potential or to provide the best possible services. Unlike most of the developed world, American schools are also required to provide many medical services, such as speech therapy, if the student needs these services.
According to the Department of Education, approximately 6 million children (roughly 10 percent of all school-aged children) currently receive some type of special education services. As with most countries in the world, students who are poor, ethnic minorities, or do not speak the dominant language fluently are disproportionately identified as needing special education services. Poor, black and Latino urban schools are more likely to have limited resources and to employ inexperienced teachers that do not cope well with student behavior problems, "thereby increasing the number of students they referred to special education. "
Certification and Education
Though certification requirements vary from state to state, all public school systems require applicants to obtain a four year degree in special education or a master's degree in special education in order to be considered for special education teaching positions.