If you are already thinking about working with children as a career, becoming a child development specialist may be an interesting and exciting field for you to consider. Here are seven top benefits to this career:
Child development specialists work in many different locations, from preschools to hospitals to community centers. If you want to work with children but do not want to be tied to a classroom, this could be a great career choice. In addition, every child you work with is different and has different needs, so you will always be working through different treatment plans and creating new options for families.
Many future educators love working with children, but being responsible for 20 or more in one classroom can be overwhelming. As a child development specialist, you get to focus on one child at time to truly determine what they need as an individual.
Your work as a child development specialist makes a significant difference for children, their families and their teachers. The treatment plan you develop may be the first time someone has made a real effort to know the child and consider the vast range of their symptoms and behaviors all at once. This type of individual attention can make a difference to a child for the rest of their life.
As a child development specialist, you join a community of caretakers who want the best for the children they work with. You will get to know medical doctors, occupational and physical therapists, speech therapists, special education teachers, parents, babysitters and a whole host of other people who care about children.
Child development specialists fall under the broader category of healthcare educators and specialists. By pursuing this career, you have the potential to fill a role in the healthcare industry that desperately needs workers.
Child development specialists will continue to be a growing field, with the job outlook rising much faster than average. These organizations and institutions may also provide benefits such as health insurance and retirement contributions.
Perhaps best of all, child development specialists often get to see the results of their work. Once they create a treatment plan and connect families to services, they can find out how a child is progressing. Other educators must wait years to see their students demonstrate significant growth, but when you work as a child development specialist, you stay connected with families and learn about children’s successes right away.
If you are interested in becoming a child development specialist, consider earning your Bachelor of Science in Special Education degree at Grand Canyon University. The courses you complete will help you build a foundation for working with children with developmental and psychological disorders and prepare you for advanced clinical work in the field.
Retrieved from:
1Council for Professional Recognition, About the CDA, in June 2022.
2Association of Child Life Professionals, Certification, in June 2022.
Approved by the Program Director for the College of Education on Sept. 15, 2022