Education & Library
Special Education Teachers, Elementary School
Also called: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher (DHH Teacher), Emotional Disabilities Teacher, Hearing Impaired Itinerant Teacher (HI Itinerant Teacher), Learning Support Teacher
US median pay
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not published
Job growth 2025–35
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Openings a year (US)
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Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 4/5 · Considerable preparation
What this job is
Teach academic, social, and life skills to elementary school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
What they do day to day
- Instruct students with disabilities in academic subjects, using a variety of techniques, such as phonetics, multisensory learning, or repetition to reinforce learning and meet students' varying needs.
- Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
- Modify the general elementary education curriculum for students with disabilities.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.
- Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
- Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
- Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
- Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Instructing4.2/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.1/5
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.5/5
- Coordination3.4/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
Knowledge
- Education and Training4.8/5
- English Language4.6/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.2/5
- Computers and Electronics4.0/5
- Mathematics3.8/5
- Administration and Management3.6/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 4 of 5 — Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Bachelor's degree51%
- Master's degree38%
- High school diploma10%
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Artistic
Creating, designing and self-expression
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.