Special Education is just what it sounds like it would be… special. It takes an exceptional kind of person to work with precious children who have needs that require special attention due to no fault of their own. A Special Education specialist, or anyone in this related field, must have an abundant of compassion and love in their heart for their students. You will find that you will be the one feeling blessed and rewarded by working with one or more of these special individuals.
Perhaps you have an interest in Special Education, but are wondering how a bachelor’s degree program will prepare you. Most bachelor’s degree programs will prepare you to work with students between the ages of five to six, at the kindergarten level, all the way up to seniors in high school. The program typically takes two years to complete and you will be expected to complete field labs and a supervised student teaching internship per your program and state’s requirements. As an online Bachelor’s degree in Special Education is the preferred degree, a master’s is sometimes required, depending on the guidelines of your prospective employer. All states insist on licensure according to their regulations, along with, continued education to maintain your license.
Disabilities cover a wide array of challenges. The students you will be working with may have one or more learning disabilities within their cognitive skills, social behavior, learning abilities or they may have physical challenges, as well. In addition, your students may have visual and/or hearing impairments, neurological conditions, speech disorders or any other type of developmental disability.
As a expert in the field of Special Education, you will be given the task of arranging curricula and activities that will teach and help your students to succeed in everyday life. Your online Bachelor’s degree in Special Education will instruct you on the best ways to develop problem-solving techniques and construct personalized lesson plans based on their individualized disabilities.
Although each student is different, your online Bachelor’s degree in Special Education program will allow for a plethora of coursework topics. They may include classes in curriculum development and evaluation, teaching theories and methods, diagnosis and assessment, disability characteristics and the laws and ethics surrounding special education. Other curricula will include how to administer tests and the best ways to motivate and encourage your students.
While earning your degree, you may be allowed to choose an area of specialization such as concentrating on the young in early childhood, working with the gifted, helping those with emotional disturbance or with students that have autism spectrum disorders. You may also choose to specialize in areas of counseling, social work, music therapy or in administration. In addition, you may then choose what age group to work with, for example, at the preschool, kindergarten and elementary level, middle school or possibly at the high school level which, in fact, will typically earn you the most annual salary.
Your online Bachelor’s degree in Special Education program will teach you how to communicate and interact with your students, their parents and how to work well with other faculty to assure the best experiences for the student. You will learn how to find creative ways to communicate and keep a child’s interest, as well as, use your patience and love to nurture and develop their skills and goals.
If desired, online distant learning programs are readily available, however, student teaching must be obtained through a local school facility. If you would like to learn more about this field, please see our choices for the Top 20 Bachelor’s in Special Education Degree Programs.