Special Education Teachers, Preschool

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

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

Skills

• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

Abilities

• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.

Knowledge

• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Education

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Central Washington University
  400 East University Way, Ellensburg WA 98926
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 509-963-1111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.cwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities
  Length
  Less than one year
  Award Level
  Post-master's certificate
  Save
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• City University of Seattle
  521 Wall Street, Suite 100, Seattle WA 98121
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 888-422-4898
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.cityu.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Eastern Washington University
  526 5th Street, Cheney WA 99004-2496
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 509-359-6200
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.ewu.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Gonzaga University
  E 502 Boone Ave, Spokane WA 99258-0001
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 800-986-9585
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.gonzaga.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Heritage University
  3240 Fort Rd, Toppenish WA 98948
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  Under 1,000

  Financial Aid 888-272-6190
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.heritage.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Saint Martin's University
  5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey WA 98503-7500
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-491-4700
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.stmartin.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Postbaccalaureate certificate, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Seattle Pacific University
  3307 3rd Ave W, Seattle WA 98119-1997
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 206-281-2000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://spu.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Seattle University
  900 Broadway, Seattle WA 98122-4340
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 206-296-6000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.seattleu.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Post-master's certificate
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Seattle Campus
  1400 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle WA 98195-4550
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 206-543-2100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.washington.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Walla Walla University
  204 S College Ave, College Place WA 99324-1198
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-527-2615
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.wallawalla.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Washington State University
  French Administration Building, Pullman WA 99164-5910
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 509-335-3564
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://wsu.edu/
  Program Name
  Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities
  Length
  Less than one year
  Award Level
  Postbaccalaureate certificate
  Save
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  Less than one year
  Award Level
  Postbaccalaureate certificate, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship, Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Western Washington University
  516 High Street, Bellingham WA 98225-9008
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 360-650-3000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://wwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Whitworth University
  300 W Hawthorne Rd, Spokane WA 99251
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-777-1000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.whitworth.edu/
  Program Name
  Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Special Education and Teaching, General
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

80080/yr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

1,170

Yearly Projected Openings

110

Personality

Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking. They do well at jobs that need:

• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Integrity
• Self Control
• Achievement/Effort
• Cooperation
• Dependability

Tools

• Adaptive communication switches for the physically challenged
• Balance or gross motor equipment
• Board games
• Braille devices for the physically challenged
• Building blocks
• Canes
• Childrens science kits
• Computer mouse
• Cutlery or utensils for the physically challenged
• Desktop computers
• Digital video disk players or recorders
• Digital voice recorders
• Game pads or joy sticks
• Handicraft tools or materials or equipment for the physically challenged
• Headpointers or mouthsticks for the physically challenged
• Hearing aid
• Keyboards
• Laminators
• Laser printers
• Letter or symbol boards for the physically challenged
• Mobile medical services first aid kits
• Notebook computers
• Overhead projectors
• Page turners for the physically challenged
• Patient scooters
• Personal computers
• Photocopiers
• Positioning devices
• Puzzles
• Sand or water tables or activity centers
• Scanners
• Standers or standing cages or standing aids
• Therapeutic pegboards or activity boards
• Touch screen monitors
• Video cassette players or recorders
• Walkers or rollators
• Wheelchairs

Technology

• Computer based training software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Device drivers or system software
• Electronic mail software
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Internet browser software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software