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Top 6 Career paths in Special Education in 2021

Looking for SEN Jobs? Click here to search our current roles

 

What is Special Education?

Special education gives pupils who have physical, mental and behavioural disabilities the chance to meet their full potential. Special education is mostly provided for free across the UK, and is designed to meet the particular learning needs of each unique child. This is a very rewarding and also challenging area to work in, which many people find extremely fulfilling. If you are considering working within Special Education, then you must visit the National Association for Special Education Needs website, which provides lots of advice on how to improve your skills, and gives examples of volunteering experiences you may find useful.

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But, what areas could you work in?

1. Special education teacher

An important role within Special Education is, of course, a SEND teacher. As wider society is beginning to understand more than ever what special needs are, there has been an increase in the number of SEND teachers required across special needs schools. Some typical duties a special needs teacher will carry out are:

  • Providing instructional support for students
  • Managing student records and preparing reports on progress
  • Preparing data for school reports
  • Establishing clear objectives for lessons, units, and projects
  • Participating in staff development, curriculum development, and other professional opportunities
  • Employing educational strategies and techniques to reinforce learning and meet the various needs of students with different disabilities
  • Following and updating each pupil's individualized education programme (IEP) to promote their overall educational, physical, social, and emotional development
  • Modifying and adapting the curriculum based on particular instructional techniques and technologies identified as best practice
  • Planning and carrying out activities that create a balanced programme of instruction
  • Maintaining an optimal learning environment for all students through behavioural management
  • Working with parents, teachers, social workers and other external professionals

There are many ways you can enter into teaching special needs students. Such routes include a university course, a PGCE to follow your BA degree, an apprenticeship and also learning through a school placement scheme. Whichever course you choose, the scheme will include options on teaching children with SEND, and you will also need to pass English and Mathematics tests. Equally, it is very important that you pass a DBS check to start your course.

Ready to get going? For more information, check this special education teaching role out,

2.Teaching assistant

Another key role within Special Education is a teaching assistant. This is often the route that many people take before training to be a class teacher, but it is also a very important job in itself which demands just as much resilience and hard work. On a day to day basis you will:

  • Work 1:1 or with small groups of children
  • Follow, adapt and even create your own group work plans
  • Support with behaviour management
  • Create resources for the classroom and for planned work
  • Support the emotional and social wellbeing of pupils
  • Carry out intervention sessions and strategies
  • Participate in staff development, curriculum development, and other professional opportunities such as learning British Sign Language or Makaton

In order to enter into this pathway it is essential that you gain some experience of working with young people and children with SEND. This may mean volunteering at a school, youth club or holiday scheme, or finding paid work within these settings. It is also possible that if you have a bachelor's degree you can sign up to a teaching agency, and they will find both long term or temporary paid teaching assistant and 1:1 placements for you.

In terms of qualifications, you can work towards a college course, an apprenticeship, or apply directly to a school for training. It does not matter if the placements you are given are in a mainstream school or not, as many people use the qualifications they have gained to help them move into SEND schools.

If you fall in love with this role, you can take an extra course and become a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA). Your school can help you with this training and direct you towards reliable providers. Also if you feel you want a greater role in helping students with SEN, you can study further and become a fully qualified special educational needs, or mainstream, teacher.

Take a look at this current job role in SEN for more information.

3.Social worker

A social worker is both a face to face, and administrative role that will enable you to work with and support a wider range of individuals than a classroom can hold.This area of Special Education can be emotionally demanding, but you will see at first-hand exactly how much of a difference you are making. Within this role you can expect to:

  • Create support plans for clients
  • Work closely with communities, health professionals and other agencies
  • Provide information and counselling
  • Maintain records and write reports
  • Discuss your cases with your supervisors
  • Help clients to build up and maintain independent living skills
  • Host meetings and assessments with individuals and families to review their situation
  • Work in an office, in an NHS or private hospital, at an adult care home, at a children's care home or in the community
  • Support clients' safety and take action to protect them when required

During your first year as a social worker you may be offered professional development opportunities, for example the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (AYSE). This includes extra guidance like:

  • Regular support through supervision
  • A unique training and development plan
  • Scheduled time to meet your training and development needs

As your experience grows, you may have the opportunity to move into management, research or study for a PhD. You could also become a practice educator, and train or mentor students at university.

Just like a teaching assistant, there are many ways to train as a social worker. You can do this by starting a university course, an apprenticeship, a graduate training scheme or a postgraduate qualification in social work, approved by Social Work England. There is also the possibility to do a 2-year postgraduate degree in social work, if you have a degree in another subject.

Once again volunteering or having experience with vulnerable children, or groups in society, is very important to help you get onto a training course. This could include volunteering for charities or for your local community. Check the government's Do-It website for live volunteering opportunities.

There are many social worker roles now open on the Senploy website.

4, Care Worker or Support Worker

What is a care worker? Well, there are government-led and private Care providers which deliver services to people with special needs, and this can take on a more face to face, and long term, relationship. This role is emotionally demanding, but is also more physically demanding than a social worker position. Your day-to-day tasks will vary and change depending on the specific needs of the person you're caring for. You may live at home with them or spend nights with them at a particular setting.

For people who need support to live at home, and in their community, you may:

  • Give support to families who have new caring responsibilities
  • Provide emotional and practical support to children and young people
  • Make food and help with eating
  • Learn about their interests and needs
  • Carry out household jobs, like washing clothes and shopping
  • Help support their physical and mental wellbeing through activities
  • Liaise with other health and social care professionals
  • Support with washing and dressing
  • Organise leisure activities and outings
  • Monitor their weight and record any concerns they have
  • Manage their prescribed medications

As a care worker you can build up your skills by training in particular SEND areas, like autisXm awareness and communication skills. With experience, you can become a lead care worker or manage people and services. You can study for further qualifications too, such as a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care, or a degree in social work or nursing.

Once again you can train for this role through a college course, an apprenticeship or by applying directly to a care provider. Also building up experience in your own time by volunteering at a care home, charity, hospital or hospice will put you in good stead for your training. Did you know that time spent caring for someone in your own family also counts as having experience in a caring role?

If you would like to know more about the experience and qualifications required for a care worker job, then check out this new available job role,

Click here to search our current SEN Jobs

 

5. Behaviour analyst

A less well-known role within Special Education is a behaviour analyst or mentor. Pupils with behavioural issues can present challenges in traditional classroom settings both for the teacher, and for themselves. Your job will be to support these students within the school environment, and help them with strategies for controlling their behaviours. The most important thing you will do is to help these pupils reach their full potential in school, rather than being referred to Pupil Referral Units or alternative provisions. Key duties within this role are:

  • Assessing behaviours and designing interventions with the class teacher
  • Providing the pupil with tools and strategies to control their actions
  • Developing the child's resilience to cope with day to day challenges
  • Supporting the student with their behaviours both in class and on the playground
  • Acting as a role model
  • Supporting classwork on a 1:1 and small group level
  • Liaising with parents, teachers and external agencies

The level of education required varies from institution to institution. Where degrees in psychology may be required for some, others prefer you to just have experiences of SEND and coaching children. Obtaining a master's degree in education or SEND can also help you to obtain this job, and provide the best possible support for these students in the academic environment. You will learn about, and then use, behavioural assessments and interventions, childhood ethics, and educational theories of experimental design.

Interested in this challenging and yet deeply rewarding role? Take a peek at this job currently live on the Senploy website.

6. Special Education Coordinator

A special education coordinator (SENCo) is a very distinct role that supports the needs of children and their family whilst at school. To help their students, a SENCo will use many different methods they have picked up during their long teaching career, use their specialist training knowledge, research strategies, and go to many SEND talks to make sure their methods are up to date. They will help to create educational learning plans, and host meetings with teachers and parents to ensure the child is on track. You will also often counsel families on how best to support and educate their children, whilst liaising with other external agencies which specialise in the need that the student requires, such as speech and language therapists, language pathologists and physical mobility specialists.

On the whole, the role of the SENCo varies from school to school depending on the needs of the children, and also the funding available to that school. This means that the qualifications and experience required also varies.

Generally, you will need to have been a teacher for quite a number of years so that you have a basic understanding of the education system. You will also need experience of working with children who have different special needs. Some schools will help to fund your training to become a SENCo, but if not the job requires at least a Bachelor's degree in an education field, and then a Master's degree linked to special education. To be further considered for a SENCo position you may need:

  • National Award for SEN Coordination
  • SENCo experience
  • Awareness of “twice exceptional” best practise
  • Experience working at whole-school level with a wide range of SEND
  • Sound knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and introducing SEND initiatives

For more information about SENCo jobs, have a look at this new SEN job role which is available now.

Do you have what it takes to work in special education?

As you can tell from above there are many varied roles within Special Education, and if any of them have inspired you then it is really important you research them fully and create a plan of action.

The biggest advice you must take with you as youbegin your Special Education career, is to create a strong professional network of peers who can help you in challenging and problematic situations. Take advantage of professional learning opportunities, and learn as much as you can whilst passing on all the knowledge you have gained too.

Many people find supporting those with special needs extremely fulfilling and rewarding. They use their instructional skills, understanding of child development, and creative talents to find new ways to help the person succeed and meet their full potential. Common traits in a candidate who can succeed within these roles include being able to adapt, to remain calm, to work as a team member, to be patient, motivational, resourceful, and comfortable communicating with a wide range of people.

No two days will be the same within any role in Special Education, and you can make a huge difference to the lives of many people.

For more information please take a look at the websites below.

Looking for SEN Jobs? Click here to search our current roles

 

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