How To Become A Mild Disabilities Teacher: What It Is and Career Path

What is a mild disabilities teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Jennifer Kurth

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a mild disabilities teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.76 an hour? That's $49,412 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 13,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a mild disabilities teacher?

Jennifer Kurth

Associate Professor, Website

Being a special education teacher is a wonderful career - it offers lasting opportunities to make a difference and change lives. With this opportunity comes needs to build relationships with students and families to work towards effective collaboration and support. Special education is a team approach, and collaborating with others lets teachers leverage the skills and expertise of others as the team works towards the common goal of supporting the student in pursuing their goals. I would also recommend new teachers stay organized - special education involves a lot of important paperwork, so developing a system to keep track of this, without letting it feel like overwhelming, is essential. I recommend that teachers seek strengths in themselves but especially in their students. Identifying those strengths lets us leverage them in ways that enable students to thrive - so always find those unique skills and interests to build upon. Finally, take care of yourself. Teaching can be demanding, especially in special education. Jake sure to prioritize your self-care and maintain a healthy and sustainable work-life balance. You'll be better able to support your students when you are well rested and emotionally grounded - these will also be traits that facilitate your longevity in this great field!

ScoreMild Disabilities TeacherUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,412

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 3.61%

Black or African American 9.36%

Hispanic or Latino 11.46%

Unknown 3.96%

White 71.24%

Gender

female 78.43%

male 21.57%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a mild disabilities teacher

Explore mild disabilities teacher education requirements

Most common mild disabilities teacher degrees

Bachelor's

66.7 %

Master's

28.6 %

High School Diploma

2.4 %

Start to develop specific mild disabilities teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
Autism	77.59%
English Language	9.01%
Classroom Management	4.20%
Behavior Issues	3.41%
Intellectual Disabilities	1.87%

Complete relevant mild disabilities teacher training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mild disabilities teachers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a mild disabilities teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mild disabilities teacher resumes.

Research mild disabilities teacher duties and responsibilities

Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
Plan curriculum for students with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities, autism and emotional/behavioral disorders in age appropriate general education classrooms.
Design curriculum and provide instruction for students diagnose with EBD.

Prepare your mild disabilities teacher resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mild disabilities teacher resume.

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