Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
The Early Childhood Special Education Teacher:
- Works with children ages birth to 8 (through grade 2) with a variety of disabilities
- Recognizes and encourages the capacities, strengths, and needs of all children with disabilities.
- Enhances the emotional and behavioral well-being of young children
- Models social situations and encourages socially acceptable behaviors
- Teaches daily living skills and early literacy
- Collaborates closely with parents and families to promote growth and development
- Often works as part of an interdisciplinary team to plan, deliver, and evaluate interventions that positively impact the developmental needs of children
An Early Childhood Special Education Teacher works in a variety of settings including:
- Children’s homes
- Early Childhood Centers and Programs
- General Pre School Classes: Collaborates with general education teachers and other service providers to meet the needs of all children in integrated settings
- Separate Rooms: Places where he or she can provide individualized or group instruction to children with disabilities who attend school for part of the day. This setting is used until children reach the age of 5.
- Special pre school groups: classes specially set aside for children with disabilities
- Residential facilities, providing home instruction or in hospital environments
- Public and private schools
An Early Childhood Special Education Teacher who works with infants and toddlers with disabilities or at risk of developing disabilities:
- Often travels to children’s homes
- Educates parents and families on techniques, approaches and activities designed to stimulate infants and encourage growth
- Provide individualized services to infants and toddlers in natural environments
- Works within a team to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
Early Childhood Special Education Teachers help preschool aged children with disabilities:
- Develop the following abilities through the use of individualized instruction and play:
- Social
- Emotional
- Cognitive
- Motor
- Independence and Autonomy
- Creative Expression
- Communication
- Receive individualized services in the least restrictive environment (LRE) through the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Early Childhood Special Education Teachers working in general education classrooms:
- Work within a team to develop educational goals and objectives for the child with disabilities focusing on those areas where he or she presents special needs.
- Propose adaptations or modifications to the general curriculum that help the young child with disabilities progress and be part of the regular early childhood program.
- Suggest accommodations, supports and supplementary aids that the child may require to fully participate in developmentally appropriate activities, such as assistive technology, medical services, occupational therapy and other related services
- Assure that appropriate assessment conditions are in place so that the child can show what he or she has learned
- Collaborate closely with general education teachers, teacher assistants, and other service providers such as speech therapists, social workers, psychologists and occupational therapists in order to meet IEP requirements.
- Work with other IEP team members to review and update the plan every year.
Academic and Experience Requirements
|
Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education AND NYS Initial Teaching Certification- Student with Disabilities |
|
Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education AND Initial Teaching Certificate (any subject) AND Paid, full-time Classroom Teaching experience - 3 Yrs |
Ongoing Training/Professional Development
- Early Childhood Special Education Teachers participate and collaborate in a variety of professional development activities that enrich their teaching practices to address the physical, cognitive, communication, social, and emotional needs of young children with disabilities or at risk for learning disabilities.
- Teachers certified after February 1, 2004 are required to obtain 175 hours of professional development every 5 years, if they work in a public school. If teachers are employed by a private institution, the 175 hour obligation is reduced by 10%.