What does a special education associate do?
Special education associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real special education associate resumes:
- Perform responsible human support and paraprofessional work assisting classroom teacher or other professionals, achieve institution objectives.
- Provide support to special education and general education teachers through delivery of specialize corrective reading and math curriculum.
- Provide appropriate learning techniques and behavioral redirection for children with learning disabilities, developmental and behavioral disorders, and autism.
- Serve an instrumental role in behavior interventions and IEP planning.
- Conduct instructional exercises assign by the instructor according to their IEP.
- Work with students who have behavioral disorders, autism, and other mental disorders.
- Plan and instruct professional development for peers on RTI regulations, various educational computer software, and PowerPoint presentations.
- Perform a variety of support activities relate to behavior management and classroom instruction of special education students.
Special education associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Special Education Associates are proficient in Math, Instructional Assistance, and Educational Programs. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Interpersonal skills, and Patience.
We break down the percentage of Special Education Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Math, 17%
Provided support to special education and general education teachers through delivery of specialized corrective reading and math curriculum.
- Instructional Assistance, 12%
Provided instructional assistance to special education.
- Educational Programs, 11%
Assisted with development of Individualized Educational Programs, alternate assessment and data collection.
- IEP, 10%
Developed modifications for classroom assignments and assessments according to Individual Education Program (IEP)s.
- PE, 10%
Accompanied students to special classes (art, music, PE) and on field trips.
- Behavior Management, 10%
Implemented behavior management plans to optimize success and learning opportunities; emphasized success to build confidence and fundamental skills.
"math," "instructional assistance," and "educational programs" are among the most common skills that special education associates use at work. You can find even more special education associate responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a special education associate to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what special education associates do because "special education teachers need to explain concepts in terms that students with learning disabilities can understand." Additionally, a special education associate resume shows how special education associates use communication skills: "teach small groups of students in math, reading, language and communication skills. "
Interpersonal skills. Many special education associate duties rely on interpersonal skills. "special education teachers work regularly with a team of educators and the student’s parents to develop ieps," so a special education associate will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways special education associate responsibilities rely on interpersonal skills: "assist students with autism in developing social, interpersonal, problem solving-skills and positive behavior. "
Patience. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of special education associates is patience. This skill is critical to many everyday special education associate duties, as "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." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "demonstrate patience and understanding while providing individualized instruction in a safe, inclusive classroom learning environment for students with significant disabilities. "
Resourcefulness. special education associate responsibilities often require "resourcefulness." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "special education teachers must develop different ways to present information that meet their students’ needs." This resume example shows what special education associates do with resourcefulness on a typical day: "showed resourcefulness and teaching effectiveness in meeting the needs of students with limited english language proficiency as well as learning disabilities. "
The three companies that hire the most special education associates are:
- Voices College-Bound Language Academies5 special education associates jobs
- HD Supply2 special education associates jobs
- Touro College2 special education associates jobs
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Special education associate vs. Child care teacher
A child care teacher is responsible for educating young learners, observing their personal and social behaviors. They also prepare engaging and fun activities for the children, ensuring their safety and security. Child care teachers assist the children's daily activities and provide progress reports and updates to the children's parents for any concerns and support needed. They also maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities by adhering to the safety standards and protocols. A child care teacher must have excellent communication and organizational skills and implement learning methods that would fit the curriculum.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a special education associate are more likely to require skills like "math," "instructional assistance," "educational programs," and "iep." On the other hand, a job as a child care teacher requires skills like "child care," "child development," "cpr," and "customer service." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Child care teachers tend to reach lower levels of education than special education associates. In fact, child care teachers are 7.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.3% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Special education associate vs. Assistant daycare teacher
An assistant daycare teacher is responsible for performing support tasks in a daycare center. Most of the duties primarily revolve around maintaining a safe and healthy environment for children, preparing meals and learning materials, assisting children during bathroom or hygiene-related activities, and keeping the classroom clean and sanitized. Furthermore, there are instances when an assistant daycare teacher must come up with recreational activities, maintain student records, and help children improve their motor skills and basic knowledge in concepts such as recognizing the alphabet or coloring.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that special education associate responsibilities requires skills like "math," "instructional assistance," "educational programs," and "iep." But an assistant daycare teacher might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "child care," "kids," "cpr," and "child development."
Assistant daycare teachers earn lower levels of education than special education associates in general. They're 10.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Special education associate vs. Student internship
Student interns are student trainees in a company. They undergo on-the-job training as it may be required by their degree program in order to graduate. They are assigned to departments in companies that are related to the field of their degree program. Student interns are expected to get enrichment from the experience while also applying what they have learned in the classroom. They are usually given activities or tasks that will help expose them to the professional sphere of their chosen careers and the bigger world outside of the university. They may join company events and activities that will help acclimate them. Student interns should be responsible and diligent.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from special education associate resumes include skills like "math," "instructional assistance," "educational programs," and "pe," whereas a student internship is more likely to list skills in "patients," "student intern," "physical therapy," and "patient care. "
Student interns earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $37,485. Special education associates earn the highest pay from the government industry, with an average salary of $41,218.Most student interns achieve a similar degree level compared to special education associates. For example, they're 4.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Special education associate vs. Teacher internship
Teaching interns are individuals who assist teachers and educators in the classroom. The interns are instructed to fulfill the tasks set out and provided by the supervisors for them. They take part in meetings and jot down their minutes. It is part of their job to conduct research at the request of the supervisor. They make updates to social media platforms and make posts. Also, they create images to be used in posts through different social media platforms.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between special education associates and teacher interns, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a special education associate might have more use for skills like "math," "instructional assistance," "educational programs," and "pe." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of teacher interns require skills like "mathematics," "classroom management strategies," "language arts," and "professional development. "
In general, teacher interns earn the most working in the education industry, with an average salary of $47,436. The highest-paying industry for a special education associate is the government industry.In general, teacher interns hold similar degree levels compared to special education associates. Teacher interns are 1.4% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of special education associate
Updated January 8, 2025











