Individuals with an online degree in Special Education can expect to work as resource teachers, inclusion specialists or case managers where they will provide individualised education programs (IEPs) in a legally-compliant manner. Many professionals will continue into roles such as compliance directors and program coordinators where their knowledge of regulations and various means of teaching learners with diverse needs will be instrumental in successful system operations. The key topics for success are legal compliance and psycho-educational assessment. Professionals must have thorough knowledge of the legally mandated obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and well-honed assessment skills so that their interventions can be based upon sound empirical evidence and individually tailored to the student. Among the primary challenges facing first year teachers in special education is the overwhelming volume of record keeping and reporting requirements related to large case loads and IEPs, not to mention maintaining high levels of instructional rigor. Teachers should consider lifelong learning an integral component of their role. The best way for special educators to keep abreast of changes in relevant legislation and best-practices is through maximum engagement with and research from professional organisations, academic journals—especially on issues of teaching students with disabilities—as well as attending local compliance meetings and legal update workshops to ensure that their professional practice is legally defensible. I recommend approaching the online degree with maximum academic integrity, viewing it as training for a leadership role focused on developing legal strategies based upon sound educational principles. I encourage all educators to use their course research to examine bodies of knowledge related to special education and, in particular, educational law and public policy, in order to establish a competitive advantage.
Graduates may find employment in roles related to person-first planning and building community connections. Some examples of these roles include transitional service coordinators (who assist students in preparing for post-school life), family liaison specialists, or working as a job coach or during therapeutic recreation. The most important concept in these jobs is person-centered planning (PCP). This practice emphasizes that the student's goals, passions, and unique perspective shape the educational process (such as through an IEP), instead of how an institution views it (i.e., 'convenience' for the institution). Many new teachers struggle to gain buy-in on a consistent basis from general education staff and administration. Unfortunately, many general education staff view inclusion as an inconvenience rather than as a pedagogical and legal obligation or responsibility. The shared responsibility for the successful inclusion of students creates the systemic friction that hampers the successful integration of the student into their community. Educators must always continue to network and maintain membership with community resource organizations and state advocacy groups in order to stay current on resources available to support students with disabilities. These organizations are often the first to signal proposed legislation and local funding changes which consequently impact service availability and transitional support programs. As an educator working with students with disabilities, my best advice is to look beyond the four walls of your classroom. The continued success of students with disabilities relies upon the continued creation of multiple layers of support for the student that extends into their family and larger community. This holistic perspective is critical to ensuring long-term success.
Graduates fit very well into compliance and governance positions such as IEP Documentation Auditors, District Compliance Officers, Data Reporting Specialists, etc. Graduates will also likely be involved in managing district-level specialized funding and budget allocation for special education programs as part of their focus on ensuring system integration and quality assurance. The most important topics to cover include Legal Compliance Documentation and Risk Management. It is imperative that teachers and administrators have mastery of accurate, timely, and compliant recordkeeping (the paper trail). Any failure to follow mandated procedures may result in the district being subject to legal action. New teachers often find it difficult to manage their caseload size in relation to the demands placed upon them for documentation. The pressure to meet deadlines for filing mandated paperwork frequently supersedes the pressure placed on new teachers for the delivery of high-quality instruction, creating operational stress. In order to remain current, educators must actively monitor regulatory websites maintained by state departments of education as well as become members of professional organizations that are focused on translating broad federal and state laws into actionable, compliant operational procedures. This ensures that the practices of educators can be legally defended. I recommend that you view your documentation as your shield. Become proficient with the record-keeping system, and excellent teaching will only be sustainable if the record-keeping system is backed by an ironclad level of compliance and administrative integrity from the beginning.
Graduates of this program can take on specialized positions in clinical applications, such as Behavior Analyst (if they are certified), FBA Specialist, Residential Program Manager, and Special Education Directors for districts. Through this degree, the professional achieves a validation of their ability to manage the complexities of behavioral dynamics in multiple settings. Critical topics covered in the program are the management of behaviors and understanding of functional behavioral assessments. The effective use of behavior interventions is dependent upon your ability to identify the reasons for problematic behaviors and consistently implement evidence-based practices and avoid punishments or generic disciplinary approaches. Beginning teachers often find it difficult to manage the teacher-student ratios in their classrooms. They typically work with varying amounts of General Educators, Paraprofessionals, Clinical Staff, etc., and if communication among the team members is not happening effectively, the result can be inconsistency of interventions or drift from what was actually written into the intervention plan. In order to remain current, educators should seek out and read peer-reviewed journals concerning ABA and be heavily involved in state and regional task forces who review local policies and data related to the implementation of behavior plans and reporting of the outcomes. My recommendation is to have unwavering commitment to developing your team and being effective in communication with each other. The effectiveness of your team will be based largely on your ability to develop and engage an interdisciplinary team that has complete alignment between all the adults in the student's span of interaction regarding the Enhanced Value (EV) of the appropriate behavioral intervention plan.
Graduates are filling positions related to Outreach and Resources, as Outreach Coordinator(s) or Family Resource Specialist or Advocate (or similar) that essentially work to de-stigmatize disability and help connect families to available Community Resources via partnerships. The two most critical areas of focus are Crisis Prevention strategies and relationship-based communication. The ability to form instant trust with families/students who are often marginalized due to lack of access to appropriate services via the education system is integral to both their participation and success. One of the biggest challenges for new teachers is facing the systemic resource disparities. Teachers often lack sufficient funding, materials, or personnel to provide a high-quality, individualized education program (IEP). Educators must remain informed and support local and national advocacy efforts to influence legislation regarding special education. These organizations can provide valuable information about projected future funding sources as well as best practices for providing equitable services. My top recommendation is to be authentic and relatable when developing strong partnerships with families in order to foster honesty and communication. Empathy and empathy-based partnerships create more successful families/students.
The Graduates of Education are essential to administration positions that are related to systemic improvement, for example, the IEP Data Management Specialists, the Educational Technology Coordinators, and the individuals responsible for managing district level compliance reporting and data visualization. The required core components are IEP platform proficiency and the models used for interagency collaboration. It is vital to maintain systematic operational efficiency with legislative requirements for tracking, collecting, and reporting data on the progress of students, as well as justifying funding for program services. Bureaucratic friction, outdated technology, and an increase in required documentation are the largest barriers that new teachers need to overcome; as many of them are required to document student progress on multiple non-integrated software systems, increasing the administrative work and detracting from the teacher's time spent on instruction. Educators should continue to update themselves on the relevant professional developments surrounding educational technology. District administrators are continuing for review and documentation and implementation of federal and state regulations related to the implementation of electronic health (EHR) and educational health records (EPR). The primary advice I give to online students is to concentrate on creating their systems thinking and process management abilities; view your classroom not only as a teaching environment but as a system, and the process that you use for managing resources and streamlining processes will determine your level of success, and length of time you will remain in an educational setting.
Graduates have the option to be employed in specific capacity to assist others in managing crises when cultural changes occur. This means they can work as Crisis De-escalation Trainers, Restraint Reduction Specialists and have opportunities in creating culturally competent and person-centered service models. The most important subject matters to understand are trauma-informed de-escalation and positive behavioral supports. To remain calm and utilize non-aversive techniques during a student crisis demonstrates professionalism, as well as helping to maintain the dignity of the student. The emotional investment of new teachers tends to lead them to not be objective when responding to student crisis behavior. It also means they will experience burnout quicker and tend to respond to the student's behavior reactively vs. calmly, consistently, and therapeutically. To remain knowledgeable in the area of crisis prevention and person-first language, educators should continuously read clinical literature and attend training programs that focus on moving away from punitive service cultures towards dignity-based supports. My message is simple but important: every interaction should be guided by how to achieve dignity for the individual. At no time should the educator ever relinquish respect for a student for the sake of short-term compliance. The ultimate goal will always be to build therapeutic trust and to treat the individual as one of inherent value.