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Career Details
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Career Details

25-9043.00 - Teaching Assistants, Special Education


Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher to provide academic, social, or life skills to students who have learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
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Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Generic
  • Assist in bus loading and unloading.
  • Assist librarians in school libraries.
  • Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
  • Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
  • Clean classrooms.
  • Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
  • Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils to students.
  • Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
  • Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
  • Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices.
  • Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
  • Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, or food preparation.
  • Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.
  • Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories and assist students with hardware and software use.
  • Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
  • Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.
  • Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
  • Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems.
  • Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
  • Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.
  • Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review.
  • Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
  • Provide assistance to students with special needs.
  • Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
  • Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies.
  • Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
  • Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
  • Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
  • Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
  • Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
No specific knowledge is listed for this career
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Computer data input devices
  • Alternative computer keyboards
  • Data input scanners
  • Eye controlled computer mouse equipment
  • Foot operated mouse equipment
  • Head operated joysticks
  • Mouth operated joysticks
  • Reading pens
  • Trackballs
 Audio and visual equipment
  • Audio tape recorders or players
  • Compact disk CD players
  • Digital video disk DVD players
  • Microphones
  • Television monitors
  • Video cassette recorders VCR
 Communication aids for the physically challenged
  • Braille slates
  • Braille styluses
  • Communication boards
  • Jellybean switches
  • Portable communication devices
  • Sound switches
  • Teletypewriters TTY
  • Word prediction software
 Computer printers
  • Computer laser printers
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
  • Laptop computers
  • Personal computers
 Cameras
  • Digital video cameras
 Games
  • Educational board games
 Computer displays
  • Interactive whiteboards
  • Wireless touch screen monitors
 Projectors and supplies
  • Liquid crystal display LCD projectors
  • Overhead projectors
 Sculpture supplies and accessories
  • Pegboards
  • Sand tables
  • Water tables
 Toys
  • Science activity kits
  • Toy block sets
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Educational or reference software
  • Appletree
  • Children's educational software
  • Hand held spell checkers
  • Kahoot
  • Padlet
  • Quizlet
  • Schoology
  • Seesaw
  • Text to speech software
 Data management and query software
  • Automate the Schools ATS
  • Blackboard software
  • Data entry softwareHOT
  • Special Education Student Information System SESIS
  • Student information systems SIS
 Network applications software
  • ClassDojo
  • ParentSquare
  • Tadpoles
  • Web browser software
 Information exchange software
  • Email software
  • Google Meet
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Flipgrid
  • High School Scheduling and Transcript HSST
  • Loom
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Word processing software
 Business function specific software
  • Google Classroom
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
 Utility and device driver software
  • Screen magnification software
  • Screen reader software
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific certifications are listed for this career
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Online Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Blue Ridge Community College
Brightpoint Community College
Eastern Shore Community College
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
Mountain Gateway Community College
New River Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
Paul D. Camp Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Rappahannock Community College
Tidewater Community College
Virginia Peninsula Community College
Virginia Western Community College
Wytheville Community College