Teaching Assistants, Special Education: Job Description
Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher to provide academic, social, or life skills to students who have learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.
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The Daily Work of Teaching Assistants, Special Education Do?
The core tasks performed by teaching assistants, special education span:
- Provide assistance to students with special needs.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
- Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
- Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
- Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
- Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
- Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
- Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful teaching assistants, special education combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Teaching Assistants, Special Education Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Assistant Instructor
- Basic Skills Improvement Program Instructional Aide (BSIP Instructional Aide)
- Classroom Paraprofessional
- Co-Teacher
- Early Childhood SPED PARA (Early Childhood Special Education Paraprofessional)
- Education Support Professional
- Educational Assistant
- Paraeducator
Employment and Demand
There are about 599,861 teaching assistants, special education working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +9.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Teaching Assistants, Special Education
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $96,801 |
| Hourly median | $46.54 |
| 10th percentile | $53,248 |
| 25th percentile | $75,024 |
| 75th percentile | $118,577 |
| 90th percentile | $140,354 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Tools and Technology
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of teaching assistants, special education tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Physical Proximity
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Getting Started in This Career
Most teaching assistants, special education positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Training and Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (Supplemental)
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (Primary-Long)
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (Primary-Long)
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (Supplemental)
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Aspiring teaching assistants, special education often complete programs in:
Education
5 programs across 4 majors
Psychology
1 programs across 1 majors
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-9043.00 (Teaching Assistants, Special Education).
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