How to Become a Special Education Assistant

A special education (SpEd) assistant works beneath a licensed teacher and assists them in the classroom. The job is sometimes also referred to as special education aide, special education paraprofessional, or special education teacher assistant.

Unlike special education teachers, special education assistants don’t necessarily need to have any teaching credentials, certifications, or licenses. This is an education paraprofessional role that’s primarily focused on support—namely assisting the primary teacher and helping students as needed.

Duties and responsibilities

Special education aides have typical assistant teacher duties, like helping the teacher administer or prepare course materials. They also have additional care duties providing personalized support to students with disabilities.

To give you an idea, here’s a typical special education aide job description:

• Reviewing course material one-on-one with students
• Instructing students in a group, with guidance from the overseeing licensed teacher
• Enforcing school rules and policies
• Assisting teachers with record keeping and lesson planning
• Supervising students in school settings outside of the classroom
• Providing educational support to students with unique learning needs
• Providing physical support to students with disabilities or limited mobility

Special education teaching assistant responsibilities can vary depending on the school type (public or private) as well as regulations imposed by state and local education agencies. Generally speaking, however, the role is limited to special education classrooms rather than traditional classroom settings.

Each school has its own requirements for special education assistants. However, there are several eligibility criteria that special ed assistants often need to meet:

• High school diploma
• First aid or CPR certification
• Ability to pass a background check

Some schools may also require you to have a 2-year degree or undergo special education training in the classroom. For example, the Los Angeles Unified School District requires 1 year of training, along with a first aid certificate, a food handler’s certificate, a CPR certification, and the physical ability to lift students if necessary. 1

By contrast, schools in New York State don’t even require you to get an associate’s degree, although they do require a high school diploma and a New York State Teaching Assistant certificate. 2

Desirable skills and traits

If you feel like a career as a special education teacher assistant is right for you and you already meet the basic requirements laid out by your local education agency, it’s time to think about the skills you’ll need for working as a special education aide that aren’t necessarily related to coursework or a degree program.

Special education teacher assistants should have the following skills and traits:

• Compassion for children
• Patience
• Communication skills
• Instructional support skills
• Behavioral management skills
• Observational skills

In addition to these characteristics, some employers will require you to be capable of heavy lifting so that you can provide physical assistance to students if necessary.

To get hired as a special ed teaching assistant, you’ll need to have the skills, knowledge, and experience that employers are looking for. We’ll walk you through how to get started.

1. Get an associate’s degree or certification

If your state or school district requires that you have a degree or certificate, then you’ll need to get one before going any further. It generally takes 2 years to get an associate’s degree in special education.

However, even if your state only requires a 2-year degree, some schools require a bachelor’s degree or higher. In many cases, you’ll be competing with applicants who have a bachelor’s degree or even master’s degree.

As an alternative to investing your time and money in a degree, you could pursue a certification in special education or another relevant subject. This will demonstrate to employers that you’ve developed the required skills so you can compete for special education assistant jobs.

Before enrolling in a course for special education teaching, make sure you meet any prerequisites. Some certificate programs require you to first complete a series of knowledge-building tasks. For example, when applying for a New York State Level 1 Teaching Assistant Certificate, you must complete an exam, attend several workshops, and submit fingerprints.

2. Undergo training and gain experience

After obtaining your degree or certificate, you may need to work as a trainee before moving on to an official assistant role. To be hired as a trainee within a school system, you may also need to meet further requirements to work or volunteer in settings where you’ll be working with people who have disabilities.

3. Apply for jobs

Finally, once you’ve met all the requirements for special education teacher assistants and prepared yourself for the job, it’s time to apply for jobs. You can often find special education assistant jobs often listed on school board websites.

If you’re unable to immediately find a special education assistant role at a nearby school, you may be able to get a similar role in a different setting where your special education skills and knowledge would be valuable, such as at a library or museum.

There are plenty of reasons why working as a special ed assistant is a great job. You’re playing a very important role and helping children with disabilities get the education they need. This career attracts people who are passionate about helping others. If this sounds like you, then you’ll probably feel satisfied with your job.

With that said, special education teaching assistants face plenty of challenges, and it’s far from easy work. You’ll frequently need to go outside of your comfort zone and handle difficult situations.

Pros and cons

Before you pursue a special education assistant career, make sure you fully understand all the benefits and drawbacks.

How much do special education assistants earn?

According to one estimate, special education assistant salaries average out at $10.82–$24.52 per hour. 3 You can generally expect to get higher pay if you have a degree or professional childcare experience.

Career outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job market for all teacher assistants, regardless of specialty, is expected to remain about the same over the next 8 years or so. 4 The same is also true for special education teachers. 5