There are many compelling reasons to earn an MEd in Special Education, including the potential to make a positive impact on students by empowering them to develop the social, behavioral and academic skills necessary to pursue their dreams. You may discover that a career as a special education teacher is personally fulfilling, allowing you to serve God’s people with compassion and empathy.

Is a master’s in special education worth it? It certainly can be worth it for you if you’re passionate about education and the rights and needs of students with exceptionalities. Under U.S. federal law, students with exceptionalities have the right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE).²

A FAPE may involve education in regular classes, with or without the use of aids or services as needed, or it may involve special education in designated classrooms, either for the entirety or part of the school day.

Federal law mandates that students receive:²

• All services needed to meet a student’s individual education needs “as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met”
• Evaluation and placement services, along with regular reevaluations
• Due process procedures for parents and guardians

With a free, appropriate public education and the support of caregivers, students with exceptionalities can become empowered to live up to their full potential and pursue their hopes and dreams after secondary school. They do, however, need assistance from dedicated special education teachers to overcome various challenges.

As a special education teacher, you may find yourself forging a strong rapport with your students. You’ll also develop a close partnership with the students’ families. You’ll serve as an advocate for your students, ensuring they have the resources and services they need to thrive. 

Special education teachers handle a wide range of responsibilities — from lesson planning and instruction to advocacy and social support. Each of their students requires highly individualized education and support services, and lessons and assignments must conform to those requirements.

Special education teachers often work with students in small groups or one-on-one, providing a tailored learning experience that may be supplemented with the use of assistive technology.

Teach Special Education

As a special education teacher, you may teach students with moderate to severe exceptionalities. This category includes a wide range of congenital, acquired and developmental conditions. Students with moderate to severe exceptionalities tend to display impactful limitations in one or more areas.

For example, some indicators of moderate exceptionalities include:³

• The child has a non-correctable, yet stable condition
• The child can carry out fundamental self-care tasks appropriate for their age range as long as they have assistance (e.g., dressing, feeding and toileting)
• The child may require modifications to the home or school environment
• The child may need assistance with functions such as communication

Indicators of moderate to severe exceptionalities may include:³

• Developmental or learning disorders
• Emotional or behavioral impairments
• Cognitive impairments
• Physical deficits

As a special education teacher at the elementary level, you’ll need to provide these children with the tools and support they need to overcome these challenges to the extent of their abilities. For example, a child who is nonverbal or has limited verbal communication skills may be taught to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.

Teach Early Childhood Special Education

Early childhood special education is critical for young children with exceptionalities. Also known as early intervention, this approach seeks to identify children who are at risk and provide needed services early in life so as to reduce the risk of developmental delays.

About one in six children will have a developmental delay or disorder. With evidence-based early intervention services that embrace a family-centered model, about one-third of children who are at-risk for a disability will come out of early intervention without a disability and without needing additional intervention services.⁴

What do special education teachers do at the preschool level? As an early childhood educator who focuses on special education, you can help meet the developmental, social and psychological needs of young children so they can be prepared to reach their full potential.

At this level, special education teachers focus on the foundational academic, socioemotional, behavioral and motor skills necessary for continued learning. They teach pre-literacy and pre-math skills, including the alphabet, numbers, colors and shapes. They also help children learn about making friends, taking turns and sharing.

Advocate for Student Needs

Each child in special education receives an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is a dynamic document, meaning that it is periodically modified to adapt to the student’s changing needs and goals. Special education teachers serve as an important member of the child’s IEP team, which meets to discuss the child’s identified needs, develop goals, create the IEP and modify it as needed.

Teachers serve as advocates for children with exceptionalities and their families. They speak up and request additional resources and support when they are needed, for example, and they ensure that the IEP is implemented properly.

Develop Curriculum

Another significant task for special education teachers is curriculum development. Students receiving special education services need a highly individualized learning experience. Teachers must adapt lesson plans and instructional methods to suit the needs of each student. The curriculum must also remain in full compliance with all state and federal education standards.

Provide Behavioral Support

Special education teachers may also implement a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). Similar to an IEP, this is a personalized, written document that guides a student’s behavioral interventions and strategies.

The BIP can identify triggers for problematic behaviors and outline the skills that need to be taught to adapt to positive behaviors. The BIP can also list the positive behavioral reinforcements that teachers may use, including social recognition, verbal praise and other rewards. In this manner, special education teachers help students develop positive behavioral habits that will serve them well in life.

Grand Canyon University teaches future educators to lead with compassion and maintain high standards of professional ethics in and out of the classroom. Our Master of Education in Special Education degree program is designed for individuals seeking initial teacher licensure in the special education subfield. 

GCU also offers MEd programs in early childhood special education and elementary special education. Licensing requirements vary by state; please refer to the requirements established by the state in which you plan to work.

Fill out the form on this page to request a consultation with a university counselor at GCU.

With a Master of Education (MEd) in Special Education, you may be prepared to pursue initial teacher licensure in your state in order to become a special education teacher.¹ Special education teachers may focus on teaching at the early childhood, elementary or secondary school levels. They work with students who have mild, moderate or severe exceptionalities, such as learning disorders and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 

Before deciding to navigate a career transition to special education, take a closer look at questions like, What can you do with a master’s in special education in order to help students thrive and live up to their full potential? As a special education teacher, there are many things you can do to support children with exceptionalities. Explore the day-to-day responsibilities and discover your own reason why a career in special education can be worth it for you.