5 Things You Didn't Know About Special Education

Sarah Wilde

McKay Student Ambassador

Special Education (Severe/Profound Disabilities Emphasis)

Special education has a reputation for being hard, and sometimes we get weird looks when we say we are going into it! A lot of people misunderstand what special education really is, so I'm here to clear up some of the confusion about what we really do and what we are actually signing up for.

1. Options Besides Teaching

Many people think that getting a degree in education means you are stuck being a teacher for the rest of your career, but think again! I have had fellow students in the major who are going into special education law, social work, horse therapy, and medical school. There are also opportunities to go into occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech pathology, school administration, or any other service that relates to individuals with disabilities. Personally, I would like to eventually go into family support and interventions for families with infants and toddlers with disabilities. There are so many different types of specialists who work with people with disabilities, and special education is a great undergrad for those careers!

2. Statistics and Data Collection

Special education is entirely based on data collection! This is not known by many people outside the field. Every goal, whether academic or behavioral, whether for an individual or for a group, must be tracked in order to determine if it is being met. The better data you take, the easier your IEP (which I will talk about later) will be to write. There are many laws in place about what is required in an IEP, and you cannot meet all these requirements without proper data collection. This creates a lot of paperwork for special educators and is often the cause of teacher burnout. However, with newer technologies, including new AI tools built for this specific purpose, the workload is getting easier.

3. Individualized Education Plans

Individualized Education Plans, or IEPs, contain all the goals for one specific student. While we want students in Special Education to eventually reach grade-level standards, they are usually behind enough that they need a more attainable goal. An IEP describes the student's strengths and weaknesses, what goals they should reach in the next year, and how those goals compare to the grade-level standards. As students meet these goals (as proven through data tracking), they are revised to help progress through the curriculum. If a goal is not being met, data tracking can help us as the educator determine where the struggle is. Is the instruction method not adequate? Is there a certain step the student needs extra practice in? Was it a poor goal to begin with? IEPs are the backbone of Special Education and are based on data collection.

4. Age Range of Students

While most of the other education majors focus on one specific age group, special education certifies you to teach all grade levels from kindergarten to post-high school! Every school district has a transition school. Transition schools are for students with IEPs who did not graduate with a diploma and are between the ages of 18 and 21. Once a student turns 22, they are not able to continue attending. That being said, BYU's special education undergraduate degree certifies you to work with students ages 5-21! The only age it doesn't cover is preschool and younger. In our program, we spend a semester of practicum in elementary school and a semester in secondary to help us get a feel for working with different ages.

5. Wanted in Schools

There is a huge shortage of special education teachers! Schools have such a need for people with this certification that some districts pay special educators more than general educators. Some districts even offer hiring bonuses! Building a network before you begin teaching is a great way to get on a district's radar. If other teachers recommend you, they will love to hire you!

While most people have heard of special education, not everyone knows what actually goes into the job or what the career looks like. It is a lot more detail oriented than people realize with data collection and IEPs. There are many options, like what types of jobs you can have or ages you can teach, and there is a huge need! I have come to love this major and the work we do. I cannot wait to student teach next semester and have my own classroom next year!

HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT EDUCATION MAJORS?

Come meet with us! Schedule an appointment here. We would love to meet with you!