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Occupation AtlasSpecial Education Teachers, Preschool

O*NET · 25-2051.00

Special Education Teachers, Preschool

Teach academic, social, and life skills to preschool-aged students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.

Also called Autistic Teacher · Behavior Interventionist · Behavior Specialist · Behavioral Interventionist · Blind Teacher · Braille Teacher · Deaf Education Teacher · Deaf Teacher
43 more

Early Childhood Special Education Teacher (ECSE Teacher) · Early Childhood Special Educator (EC Special Educator) · Early Intervention Specialist · Early Intervention Teacher · EC Special Educator · ECSE Teacher · ED Teacher · ED Teacher (Emotional Disabilities Teacher) · Educational Intervention Teacher · Emotionally Impaired Teacher · ESE Teacher · Exceptional Needs Teacher · Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher) · Hearing Impaired Itinerant Teacher (HI Itinerant Teacher) · Hearing Impaired Teacher · HI Itinerant Teacher · Learning Disabled Teacher · Learning Support Teacher · Lip Reading Teacher · Mentally Impaired Teacher · Mentally Retarded Teacher · Physically Impaired Teacher · Pre-K SPED Teacher · Pre-K SPED Teacher (Pre-Kindergarten Special Education Teacher) · Preschool Intervention Specialist · Preschool SPED Teacher · Preschool SPED Teacher (Preschool Special Education Teacher) · Profound Mental Handicaps SPED Teacher · Profound Mental Handicaps SPED Teacher (Profound Mental Handicaps Special Education Teacher) · Reading Interventionist · Resource Room Teacher · Self Contained Special Education Teacher · Severe Mental Handicaps SPED Teacher · Severe Mental Handicaps SPED Teacher (Severe Mental Handicaps Special Education Teacher) · Special Education Paraprofessional · Special Education Resource Teacher · Special Education Teacher · Special Needs Assistant · Special Needs Teacher · SPED Preschool Teacher · SPED Preschool Teacher (Special Education Preschool Teacher) · Speech and Hearing Handicapped Teacher · Visually Impaired Teacher

Job Zone 4 — Considerable Preparation NeededHolland code SAI35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed

Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree plus several years of work-related experience, knowledge, or training.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

SAISocial · Artistic · Investigative — the three strongest interests, in order

  • S Social7.00
  • A Artistic3.98
  • I Investigative3.49
  • C Conventional3.18
  • R Realistic2.70
  • E Enterprising1.70

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent2%
  • Some College Courses15%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree18%
  • Bachelor's Degree44%
  • Post-Baccalaureate Certificate6%
  • Master's Degree12%
  • Post-Master's Certificate3%
Related work experience
None (39%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (24%)
On-the-job training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (34%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Learning Strategiesbasic4.04.3Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
  • Monitoringbasic4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Social Perceptiveness4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Speakingbasic4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Active Listeningbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Critical Thinkingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Active Learningbasic3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Instructing3.93.3Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
  • Writingbasic3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Service Orientation3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Complex Problem Solving3.43.4Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
Show the other 23

Tasks

36 core

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Communicate nonverbally with children to provide them with comfort, encouragement, or positive reinforcement.4.8
  2. Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.4.8
  3. Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.4.7
  4. Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.4.7
  5. Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, or changing their diapers.4.6
  6. Develop individual educational plans (IEPs) designed to promote students' educational, physical, or social development.4.6
  7. Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, or social skills, to preschool students with special needs.4.6
  8. Modify the general preschool curriculum for students with disabilities.4.5
  9. Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.4.5
  10. Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.4.5
  11. Read books to entire classes or to small groups.4.5
  12. Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual education plans (IEPs).4.5
Show the other 24
  1. Meet with parents or guardians to discuss their children's progress, advise them on using community resources, or teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.4.5
  2. Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.4.4
  3. Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment or materials to prevent injuries and damage.4.4
  4. Monitor teachers or teacher assistants to ensure adherence to special education program requirements.4.4
  5. Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.4.4
  6. Arrange indoor or outdoor space to facilitate creative play, motor-skill activities, or safety.4.3
  7. Confer with parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, or administrators to resolve students' behavioral or academic problems.4.3
  8. Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.4.3
  9. Encourage students to explore learning opportunities or persevere with challenging tasks to prepare them for later grades.4.3
  10. Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, or self-advocacy.4.3
  11. Administer tests to help determine children's developmental levels, needs, or potential.4.3
  12. Establish and communicate clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects to students, parents, or guardians.4.2
  13. Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, or social development.4.2
  14. Serve meals or snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines.4.2
  15. Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to maintain or improve professional competence.4.1
  16. Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.4.1
  17. Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.4.1
  18. Prepare objectives, outlines, or other materials for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements.4.0
  19. Collaborate with other teachers or administrators to develop, evaluate, or revise preschool programs.4.0
  20. Organize and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their perceptual skills.4.0
  21. Plan and supervise experiential learning activities, such as class projects, field trips, or demonstrations.3.8
  22. Present information in audio-visual or interactive formats, using computers, television, audio-visual aids, or other equipment, materials, or technologies.3.7
  23. Prepare assignments for teacher assistants or volunteers.3.6
  24. Control the inventory or distribution of classroom equipment, materials, or supplies.3.5

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service4.35.0Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Education and Training4.34.9Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • English Language3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Administration and Management3.53.1Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Psychology3.54.2Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Administrative3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Computers and Electronics3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Sociology and Anthropology2.93.2Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
Show all 33
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
  • Therapy and Counseling2.83.5Level 4 looks like: Provide job counseling to the unemployed
  • Public Safety and Security2.72.7
  • Law and Government2.52.2Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Communications and Media2.42.7
  • Foreign Language2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Philosophy and Theology2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Mathematics2.32.0Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Telecommunications2.31.5Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Biology2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Medicine and Dentistry2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Sales and Marketing2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Economics and Accounting1.91.4Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Fine Arts1.91.6Level 1 looks like: Attend a popular music concert
  • Food Production1.91.2Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Transportation1.91.3Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Design1.81.5Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • History and Archeology1.81.7Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Production and Processing1.81.3Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Chemistry1.71.9Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Geography1.71.6Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Engineering and Technology1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Mechanical1.61.3Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Physics1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Building and Construction1.3—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Deductive Reasoning4.04.0Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Oral Comprehension4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Problem Sensitivity4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Speech Clarity4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Written Comprehension4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Written Expression3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Inductive Reasoning3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
Show all 52
  • Speech Recognition3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Information Ordering3.63.8Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Near Vision3.53.8
  • Fluency of Ideas3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Originality3.13.5Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Category Flexibility3.03.1Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Selective Attention3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Time Sharing3.03.0Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Far Vision2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Auditory Attention2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Flexibility of Closure2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Memorization2.82.8
  • Speed of Closure2.82.8Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Trunk Strength2.62.5Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Perceptual Speed2.52.3Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Visualization2.32.4Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Number Facility2.12.1Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Extent Flexibility2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Finger Dexterity2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Gross Body Coordination2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Manual Dexterity2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.02.0Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Stamina2.01.5Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Static Strength2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Dynamic Strength1.91.4Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.91.4Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Hearing Sensitivity1.91.8Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Multilimb Coordination1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Explosive Strength1.80.8
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Depth Perception1.60.8
  • Sound Localization1.60.6
  • Control Precision1.50.6
  • Spatial Orientation1.4—
  • Peripheral Vision1.3—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.1—
  • Response Orientation1.1—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Rate Control1.0—
  • Reaction Time1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Assisting and Caring for Others4.55.2Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Developing and Building Teams4.34.3Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.23.8Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.24.9Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Getting Information4.24.1Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.14.1Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.15.3Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.04.4Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
Show all 41
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Thinking Creatively3.84.1Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.74.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.74.3Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Training and Teaching Others3.73.9Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Processing Information3.53.7Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.54.0Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Working with Computers3.53.3Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.43.7Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.33.5Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.23.2Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.23.3Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.03.5Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.83.2Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.72.9
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information2.52.3Level 1 looks like: Estimate the size of household furniture to be shipped
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.21.8Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Selling or Influencing Others1.91.6Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.81.3Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.81.1Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Controlling Machines and Processes1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.4—

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Contact With Others4.6
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities4.5
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.4
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3
  • Physical Proximity4.2
  • E-Mail4.0
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals3.9
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable3.9
  • Spend Time Standing3.7

Technology

12 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (5)

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (7)
  • American Sign Language Browser
  • Children's educational software
  • Drawing software
  • Email software
  • Screen magnification software
  • Screen reader software
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten
  2. Special Education Teachers, Elementary School
  3. Special Education Teachers, Middle School
  4. Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
  5. Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
  6. Teaching Assistants, Special Education
  7. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
  8. Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
  9. Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
  10. Adapted Physical Education Specialists

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

Closest occupations

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Other O*NET occupations whose importance ratings on the 35 skills both rate are nearest to this one's, with the biggest differences named. A plain rule, not a hidden score.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.