Steps to Working with Special Needs children

January 30, 2019 12:30 PM

My partner has an AS in education and currently works as a pre-school teacher. They have wanted to take steps towards working with special needs children, but the reality of simply planning going back to school is daunting. What are the steps to take? I assume that finishing a BA in early childhood education would be the first step? What happens after that?

Additionally, pre-schools are primarily non-unionized and hours can be unreliable. For example the base where your school is sited may be closed during an extended gov't shutdown. What degrees and certifications would one need to work at a public school or a hospital where work would presumably be more reliable and there are protections for workers?

Anyone with experience working with developmentally disabled children please share your experience, especially how you entered the field.

posted by kittensofthenight to Education (2 answers total)

Best answer: A first step may be to find out how to be a paraprofessional in a public preschool and to get some experience in the classroom with that population of students. I live in MA, and in MA, the certification required is some amount of early ed education and taking and passing an exam for clearance. The paras in our district make okay hourly rates, but it is an hourly paid position and they do make less than teachers.

Some districts will pay for further education for an employee interested in furthering their careers in education and/or some schools/universities strike deals with nearby communities to lower tuition costs for public school employees seeking to further their careers in public education. That may be a path to a degree in public education.

To be a special education teacher, your partner will almost certainly need to finish a BA or BS in education, and should probably take some classes specific to that. From that, states vary in their requirements and it's best to check out the state's Department of Education requirements for gaining teaching licensure.
posted by zizzle at 12:36 PM on January 30, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Occupational therapists work with a wide variety of populations, including kids with developmental disabilities. The way that I describe OT to students, which may not be exactly right, is that OTs aren't concerned with fixing what's (supposedly) wrong with patients: that's for doctors or physical therapists. Their job is to help people figure out how to do the things they want to do, regardless of the mismatch between their bodies and the world around them. So if your left hand doesn't move and you can't tie your shoes, an OT might help you find a gadget that would tie your shoes for you, or they might help you find a different kind of shoes that you can easily put on and take off, or they might help you practice breathing exercises so you don't freak out when you get really frustrated trying to get your shoes on and off. They basically help people problem-solve so they can do the stuff they want or need to do. Many kids with autism work with OTs.

To become an occupational therapist, you need a college degree (it doesn't matter in what, although there are some pre-requisites that students need to take) and then to attend graduate school. Another possible route is to become an occupational therapy assistant, which requires a 2-year community college degree and pays decently. There are OTA to OT bridge programs, although some of them require that students already have a bachelor's degree. If your partner is interested in exploring OT or OTA careers, the first step would probably be to shadow someone currently doing those jobs.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 12:57 PM on January 30, 2019 [2 favorites]