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What does an early childhood special educator do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Stephen Graves Ph.D
What does an early childhood special educator do

Early childhood special educators are professionals who provide direct services for infants and young children that are experiencing delays in their development. These educators are required to collaborate with parents to provide a program of activities that can encourage the growth of the children's skills. By incorporating the advice of other professionals, early childhood special educators must create individual education plans that address the specific learning challenges of children. They must also identify signs of child abuse and neglect so that they can take the necessary actions to remediate the situation.

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Early childhood special educator responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real early childhood special educator resumes:

  • Target at risk and high achieving students using levele readers and DRA strategies.
  • Collaborate with other Pre-K teachers to plan and team-teach with a multicultural focus.
  • Develop IFSP's design to promote students' educational, physical, or social needs.
  • Assist in other classrooms as needed, from infants to pre-k, to help gain knowledge of children of all ages.
  • Adapted/Individualize curriculum base on individual student needs, including all need self-help skills.
  • Develop IEP objectives consistent with daily instruction as provided, base on developmentally appropriate activities.
  • Provide enriching and illustrative educational experiences to all learners, through differentiate instruction and RTI.
  • Offer indirect/consultation services to general early childhood education professionals in order to meet IEP objectives in natural environments.
  • Produce practice style reinforcement worksheets to enhance student mastery regarding phonics, vocabulary, phonological awareness, and comprehension.
  • Develop and implement age-appropriate curriculum for toddler program, ensuring that appropriate opportunities are provided in order to maximize learning potential.
  • Provide direct science instruction to 9th and 10th grade students in a co-taught general education setting.
  • Train in DIBELS testing and are part of the team administering the tests to the entire school.
  • Administer IOWA, and DRA assessments in order to drive instruction and monitor progress.
  • Collaborate and co-taught with regular education teachers in all classrooms with special education students
  • Administer and evaluate DIBELS assessments.

Early childhood special educator skills and personality traits

We calculated that 9% of Early Childhood Special Educators are proficient in Autism, Classroom Management, and CPR. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Communication skills, and Patience.

We break down the percentage of Early Childhood Special Educators that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Autism, 9%

    Trained paraprofessional in strategies and behavioral management with neurological conditions that included Autism Spectrum Disorders.

  • Classroom Management, 9%

    Praised for excellent classroom management with the implementation of innovative strategies that result in self-disciplined and self-motivated children.

  • CPR, 8%

    Assist Lead Teacher in creating lesson plans, remaining CPR and First Aid certified

  • Child Development, 6%

    Provide developmentally appropriate activities based on children's interests and abilities using knowledge of child development and reflection techniques.

  • IEP, 5%

    Offered indirect/consultation services to general early childhood education professionals in order to meet IEP objectives in natural environments.

  • Child Care, 5%

    Help families and child care providers learn strategies to encourage children's development through regular visits in natural environments.

Common skills that an early childhood special educator uses to do their job include "autism," "classroom management," and "cpr." You can find details on the most important early childhood special educator responsibilities below.

Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for an early childhood special educator to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what early childhood special educators do because "special education teachers work regularly with a team of educators and the student’s parents to develop ieps." Additionally, an early childhood special educator resume shows how early childhood special educators use interpersonal skills: "developed a classroom environment which improved students' interpersonal communication skills by creating learning centers and team building projects. "

Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling early childhood special educator duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "special education teachers need to explain concepts in terms that students with learning disabilities can understand." According to an early childhood special educator resume, here's how early childhood special educators can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "maintained a high level of communication with parents working together toward the goal of kindergarten readiness. "

Patience. early childhood special educators are also known for patience, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to early childhood special educator responsibilities, because "special education teachers must be able to stay calm instructing students with disabilities, who may lack basic skills, present behavioral or other challenges, or require repeated efforts to understand material." An early childhood special educator resume example shows how patience is used in the workplace: "assisted the primary instructor in an early learning environment by demonstrating skills in communication, instruction, patience, and creativity. "

All early childhood special educator skills

The three companies that hire the most early childhood special educators are:

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Compare different early childhood special educators

Early childhood special educator vs. Pre-k teacher

Pre-K teachers play an essential role in the lives of young children ages three to five years old by developing and nurturing their interest in subjects appropriate for their age. They promote a creative learning environment and encourage social interactions among students while providing the fundamental educational foundation that will prepare them for a successful start to kindergarten. They are responsible for overseeing children during their mealtimes, reinforcing personal hygiene, and developing children's social skills. Pre-K teachers also plan curriculum and work with other school staff members.

If we compare the average early childhood special educator annual salary with that of a pre-k teacher, we find that pre-k teachers typically earn a $3,503 higher salary than early childhood special educators make annually.Even though early childhood special educators and pre-k teachers are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require classroom management, cpr, and child development in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between early childhood special educators and pre-k teacher. For instance, early childhood special educator responsibilities require skills such as "autism," "child care," "kindergarten," and "early intervention." Whereas a pre-k teacher is skilled in "math," "help support," "language arts," and "bilingual education." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Pre-k teachers tend to reach similar levels of education than early childhood special educators. In fact, pre-k teachers are 4.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Early childhood special educator vs. Teacher

Being a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world. Every teacher is unique and has their own teaching styles and methods depending on the subject they teach and the age of their students. Oftentimes they also function as a parent, counselor, coach, friend, and even a lawmaker. There is essentially no limit to the roles a teacher portrays.

A career as a teacher brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of an early childhood special educator. In fact, teachers salary is $11,191 higher than the salary of early childhood special educators per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Early childhood special educators and teachers both require similar skills like "classroom management," "cpr," and "iep" to carry out their responsibilities.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, early childhood special educator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "autism," "child development," "child care," and "kindergarten." Meanwhile, a teacher has duties that require skills in areas such as "esl," "handle scheduling," "curriculum development," and "math." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Teachers earn a higher average salary than early childhood special educators. But teachers earn the highest pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $49,700. Additionally, early childhood special educators earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $34,240 annually.In general, teachers achieve similar levels of education than early childhood special educators. They're 1.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for early childhood special educators in the next 3-5 years?

Dr. Stephen Graves Ph.DDr. Stephen Graves Ph.D LinkedIn profile

Director of Undergraduate Studies, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri

Zoom and online teaching and conference technology will be critical and prevalent in the field. Many jobs will remain, or continue to have in-home features, so being prepared and able to shift your technique and skills online will be beneficial.

Early childhood special educator vs. Kindergarten teacher

Kindergarten teachers teach young children social and emotional skills, reading skills, music, and personal hygiene. They prepare these children for elementary school and certain life aspects. It is also their responsibility to teach children good classroom behavior, plan the curriculum daily and the whole school year, and conduct parent-teach meetings. Kindergarten teachers should encourage children to be observant of activities and give them the chance to ask questions and find the answers. They should also work with parents in putting an action plan to help children with emotional or developmental problems.

On average, kindergarten teachers earn higher salaries than early childhood special educators, with a $11,231 difference per year.early childhood special educators and kindergarten teachers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "classroom management," "iep," and "learning environment," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from early childhood special educator resumes include skills like "autism," "cpr," "child development," and "child care," whereas a kindergarten teacher is more likely to list skills in "math," "language arts," "student learning," and "pre-kindergarten. "

Kindergarten teachers earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $79,925. Comparatively, early childhood special educators have the highest earning potential in the education industry, with an average salary of $34,240.When it comes to education, kindergarten teachers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to early childhood special educators. In fact, they're 0.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Early childhood special educator vs. Home therapy teacher

Home therapy teachers instruct parents of mentally and physically disabled children in therapy techniques and behavior modification. The teachers play and observe as children's parents to obtain information related to a child's mental and physical development. They determine the parent's ability to comprehend and apply therapeutic modification techniques and their emotional and social needs to formulate a teaching plan. They develop individual teaching plans covering self-help, social, motor, and language skills development for parents to implement at home. Additionally, they refer parents and children to social service agencies for additional service and financial assistance.

Home therapy teachers typically earn higher pay than early childhood special educators. On average, home therapy teachers earn a $11,853 higher salary per year.According to resumes from early childhood special educators and home therapy teachers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "classroom management," "language development," and "aba. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. An early childhood special educator uses "autism," "cpr," "child development," and "iep." Home therapy teachers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "esl," "behavioral data," "crisis intervention," and "behavior analysis. "In general, home therapy teachers hold similar degree levels compared to early childhood special educators. Home therapy teachers are 2.6% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of early childhood special educator

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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