Online Special Education Degree Programs

Embark on a Passion-fueled Career that Truly Touches the Lives of Disabled Children with a Special Education Degree

An online special education degree can equip you with the specialized skills, competencies and insight required to help the children who need it the most — those with mental, emotional, or physical disabilities.

If you are sympathetic and care for students with mild to moderate learning disabilities, an online degree in special education can put you on an extraordinary career path, making a lifelong difference in the lives of students in no time.

Special education degree online programs provide students with more than just the theory of education. You will learn the specific skills needed to teach those students who face a number of obstacles keeping them from attaining a full educational experience. You will discover concepts and models that help children with educational and physical handicaps achieve academic success and realize their true potential.

Unlike more traditional education programs, online special education programs are more flexible and convenient, allowing you to take the classes on evenings and weekends without leaving your current job.

In addition, you'll learn from people who have real-world experience in special education. Accomplished professors cover not only special education theory, but also common situations that occur when teaching special education students.

An Online Special Education Degree Gives You Vital Skills

Online special education degree programs prepare you to make the world better place by providing best possible learning environment for students with various physical, mental and emotional abnormalities.

All special education students are different, with their own quirks and challenges that need to be addressed by a qualified instructor. Teaching special education students is not just about learning how to teach a student with difficulties, however; it is about how you can help them learn to navigate the educational landscape despite these difficulties.

In addition to receiving the right skills to provide these students with an education, you will also learn how to teach them socialization skills. Depending on their disability, many students may be able to live a fairly normal life, but will need help in terms of interacting with the world.

You will learn how to plan and develop curriculum and instructional programs and work in partnership with other professionals in school, hospital and non-profit organization to improve quality of life for children with exceptional needs.

An online degree in special education typically includes courses such as teaching children with autism spectrum disorder, learning disability, speech and hearing disorder, mental and emotional disturbance, and trauma. The curriculum also focuses on learning disability therapy, educational and child psychology, early childhood special education and IEP (Individualized Education Plan) development.

Many programs also encourage you to participate in field and practical experience arranged in a school in your community, allowing you to apply what you have learned in real-life situation.

Career Projections for those with Online Special Education Degrees

Most of the special education professionals work in public and private schools, hospitals, and non-profit agencies as special education teacher, special education supervisor, adjunct classroom teacher and consultant.

As more research and understanding becomes available about how to work with individuals with physical or learning disabilities, special education teachers are learning more about how best to teach to students' unique requirements. This could potentially keep job growth in this area of education strong for the coming years.

Also, in many cases children with disability require individual, one-on-one attention and supervision, pushing the demand for special education professionals ever higher.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, projected job growth for special education professionals will be on par with average job growth across all sectors over the next 10 years.

Salary Expectations for Special Educators

Special education is a difficult field. Navigating the unique complexities of each student and understanding how he or she learns best can be both challenging and rewarding. Salaries for these positions are about equal or even higher with those of most other teaching professionals, and are expected to remain strong in the coming years.

For many professionals in this field, salary and monetary rewards do not count; rather it's the gratification and feeling of doing something very important for the community that matter.

According to the BLS, the average 2010 salary was the following:

Forthcoming Changes to Special Education Field

Education researchers break new ground all the time in terms of how to best reach students with mental, emotional or physical disabilities. Thus, the field is an ever-changing one. The following are some expected trends in the field of special education for the years to come:

• Changes in technology may prove to significantly aid those with disabilities, opening up new ways to reach and educate special education children.
• A better understanding of education theory will provide new opportunities for kids with various disorders to learn and reach their full potential.
• A better understanding of disabilities may allow young people previously thought to be un-teachable to receive the education they need and deserve.
• As the current generation of special education teachers retires, more jobs will likely become available in this field.

Whether you are just starting out or are a tenured educator who wants to learn more about reaching special education kids, an online degree in special education is a valuable asset for you. At eDegreeSteps, we help you to find top accredited online special education degree programs.

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