Special Education Teachers, Preschool

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-2051.00United States

Teach academic, social, and life skills to preschool-aged 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.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $64,735
Projected change: +4.6%
Typical education: Bachelor's degree
Employment: 32.96K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What special education teachers, preschool do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
Communicate nonverbally with children to provide them with comfort, encouragement, or positive reinforcement.
Develop individual educational plans (IEPs) designed to promote students' educational, physical, or social development.
Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, or social skills, to preschool students with special needs.
Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual education plans (IEPs).
Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, or self-advocacy.
Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment or materials to prevent injuries and damage.
Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, or changing their diapers.
Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
Administer tests to help determine children's developmental levels, needs, or potential.
Monitor teachers or teacher assistants to ensure adherence to special education program requirements.
Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
Confer with parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, or administrators to resolve students' behavioral or academic problems.
Encourage students to explore learning opportunities or persevere with challenging tasks to prepare them for later grades.
Establish and communicate clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects to students, parents, or guardians.
Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.
Meet with parents or guardians to discuss their children's progress, advise them on using community resources, or teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.
Modify the general preschool curriculum for students with disabilities.
Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, or social development.
Prepare objectives, outlines, or other materials for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements.
Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to maintain or improve professional competence.
Read books to entire classes or to small groups.
Arrange indoor or outdoor space to facilitate creative play, motor-skill activities, or safety.
Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
Organize and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their perceptual skills.
Present information in audio-visual or interactive formats, using computers, television, audio-visual aids, or other equipment, materials, or technologies.
Collaborate with other teachers or administrators to develop, evaluate, or revise preschool programs.
Plan and supervise experiential learning activities, such as class projects, field trips, or demonstrations.
Prepare assignments for teacher assistants or volunteers.
Control the inventory or distribution of classroom equipment, materials, or supplies.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $45,414
25th percentile: $52,022
50th percentile: $64,735
75th percentile: $91,682
90th percentile: $130,329

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $64,735 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+4.6%average or slower

202532,962 jobs

2035 projected34,475 jobs

1,513 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Bachelor's degree: 63.4%
Master's or Professional degree: 32.1%
Associate degree: 3%
Some college: 1.4%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Special Education
Early Intervention
Preschool Education
Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
Child Development
Disabilities
Psychology
Lesson Planning
Working With Children
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP)
Social Work
Effective Communication
Classroom Management
Sociology
Caregiving
Data Collection
Instructional Strategies
Primary Education
Behavior Management

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Preschool Special Education Teachers367 postings
02Early Intervention Specialists333 postings
03Early Intervention Teachers110 postings
04Early Interventionists33 postings
05Preschool Special Needs Teachers27 postings
06Early Childhood Teachers14 postings
07Early Intervention Service Coordinators14 postings
08Long Term Substitute Special Education Teachers14 postings
09Early Childhood Special Educators13 postings
10Elementary Special Education Teachers11 postings
11Directors of Early Childhood Education10 postings
12Preschool Instructors7 postings
13Special Education Autism Teachers7 postings
14Self-Contained Special Education Teachers6 postings
15Special Education Itinerant Teachers6 postings
16Family Intervention Specialists5 postings
17Special Education Inclusion Teachers5 postings
18Certified Preschool Teachers4 postings
19Classroom Teachers4 postings
20Early Childhood Intervention Specialists4 postings

Top employers

01About Play63 postings
02Sevita41 postings
03Edjoin.Org40 postings
04All About Kids29 postings
05Allegheny Intermediate Unit26 postings
06Amergis15 postings
07White Glove Community Care15 postings
08Fairfax County Public Schools11 postings
09Goldstar Rehabilitation11 postings
10State Of West Virginia11 postings
11Creative Home Programs10 postings
12Alternatives For Children9 postings
13Brookville Center For Children's Services9 postings
14Community Action Corporation Of South Texas7 postings
15Easterseals South Carolina7 postings
16Seattle Public Schools7 postings
17Bright Start6 postings
18Gwinnett County Public Schools6 postings
19Into The Spectrum Services6 postings
20Albuquerque Public Schools5 postings

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