Thread: Do Special Ed teachers choose what kind..

In a word, no. From what I've observed, a lot of spec ed teachers have pretty similar education even though they deal with a wide range of disabilities.

Originally Posted by AspiringTeacher7

of students they want to teach? In other words, can you choose to work with students that are only physically impaired or only have learning difficulties? IF so, is there a specific program(in college) for specific areas as such?

Hmmm... There IS a college here with specific programs BUT there aren't very many jobs/positions, so people usually take additional courses and exams so they could work with other sped students as well. So basically if you pigeonhole yourself into, say, working with visually impaired students, and there is a large surplus of similarly educated teachers, you may very well never get a job apart from occassional subbing or having to relocate far away (I am in a similar position with my biology certificate).

Plus many students have several disabilities at once, so a teacher with knowledge of all these disabilities is the best match for such a student.

Originally Posted by Zheljko

Originally Posted by AspiringTeacher7

of students they want to teach? In other words, can you choose to work with students that are only physically impaired or only have learning difficulties? IF so, is there a specific program(in college) for specific areas as such?

Hmmm... There IS a college here with specific programs BUT there aren't very many jobs/positions, so people usually take additional courses and exams so they could work with other sped students as well. So basically if you pigeonhole yourself into, say, working with visually impaired students, and there is a large surplus of similarly educated teachers, you may very well never get a job apart from occassional subbing or having to relocate far away (I am in a similar position with my biology certificate).

Plus many students have several disabilities at once, so a teacher with knowledge of all these disabilities is the best match for such a student.

I actually heard the opposite.May I ask, what state do you teach in? That plays a major .In Ny , there is a great demand for Special ed and Bilingual teachers

From looking at the 'location' field, I'd say Serbia

You really need to check out the requirements of the state in which you are considering being a teacher; the laws/rules/requirements vary from state to state. IIRC, in New York you'd need to contact the New York State Education Department. Another option would be to contact the appropriate advisors at your local college or university.