A Special Educational Needs Teacher is an educator who specializes in supporting students with a wide range of learning, physical, and emotional disabilities. SEN Teachers provide tailored instruction and create an inclusive learning environment that helps students overcome barriers and achieve their personal and academic goals. They work closely with other educators, parents, and specialists to develop and implement Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that address each student’s specific needs. SEN Teachers play a critical role in promoting equal educational opportunities, ensuring that all students are empowered to learn and thrive.
The following job titles also refer to special educational needs teacher:
autism teacher special education resource teacher special educational needs professional teacher in special education needs teacher for hearing impaired children special needs educator SEN teacher teacher of special educational needs educator in special educational needs special needs teacher special education teacher
Special educational needs teachers work in a variety of educational settings, including mainstream schools, specialized schools, and resource centers. They may have a dedicated classroom or work within general education settings to support students alongside other teachers. While regular school hours are typical, additional time may be needed for IEP meetings, progress assessments, and lesson planning. The role can be challenging and emotionally demanding due to the unique needs of students, requiring resilience, empathy, and strong organizational skills.
Most Special educational needs teachers hold a bachelor’s degree in special education, education, or a related field, with specialized training in areas such as learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or emotional and behavioral challenges. Many states or regions require certification or licensure in special education. Experience through internships, student teaching, or prior roles in special education settings is essential. Ongoing professional development in special education strategies, assistive technology, and behavioral management is critical to remaining effective in this evolving field.
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Special educational needs teacher is a Skill level 4 occupation.
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of special educational needs teacher.
Learning needs analysis: The process of analysing a student’s learning needs through observation and testing, potentially followed by the diagnosis of a learning disorder and a plan for additional support.
Special needs learning equipment: The materials used by a special needs teacher for training students with special educational needs in their classes, more specifically tools such as sensory equipment and equipment for stimulating motor skills.
Children’s physical development: Recognise and describe the development, observing the following criteria: weight, length, and head size, nutritional requirements, renal function, hormonal influences on development, response to stress, and infection.
Disability care: The specific methods and practices used in providing care to people with physical, intellectual and learning disabilities.
Disability types: The nature and types of disabilities affecting the human beings such as physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional or developmental and the specific needs and access requirements of disabled people.
Curriculum objectives: The goals identified in curricula and defined learning outcomes.
Special needs education: The teaching methods, equipment and settings used to support students with special needs in achieving succes in school or community.
These skills are necessary for the role of special educational needs teacher.
Manage children’s problems: Promote the prevention, early detection, and management of children`s problems, focusing on developmental delays and disorders, behavioural problems, functional disabilities, social stresses, mental disorders including depression, and anxiety disorders.
Stimulate students’ independence: Encourage students with special needs to perform tasks independently, without the help from a caregiver and teach them personal independence skills.
Guarantee students’ safety: Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.
Prepare lesson content: Prepare content to be taught in class in accordance with curriculum objectives by drafting exercises, researching up-to-date examples etc.
Provide specialised instruction for special needs students: Instruct students in need of specialised attention, often in small groups, catering to their individual needs, disorders, and disabilities. Promote the psychological, social, creative or physical development of children and teenagers using specific methods such as concentration exercises, role-plays, movement training, and painting.
Observe student’s progress: Follow up on students’ learning progress and assess their achievements and needs.
Manage student relationships: Manage the relations between students and between student and teacher. Act as a just authority and create an environment of trust and stability.
Support the positiveness of youths: Help children and young people to assess their social, emotional and identity needs and to develop a positive self-image, enhance their self-esteem and improve their self-reliance.
Adapt teaching to student’s capabilities: Identify the learning struggles and successes of students. Select teaching and learning strategies that support students’ individual learning needs and goals.
Apply teaching strategies: Employ various approaches, learning styles, and channels to instruct students, such as communicating content in terms they can understand, organising talking points for clarity, and repeating arguments when necessary. Use a wide range of teaching devices and methodologies appropriate to the class content, the learners’ level, goals, and priorities.
Implement care programmes for children: Perform activities with children according to their physical, emotional, intellectual and social needs by using appropriate tools and equipment that facilitate interaction and learning activities.
Assist students with equipment: Provide assistance to students when working with (technical) equipment used in practice-based lessons and solve operational problems when necessary.
Assist in children’s development of basic personal skills: Encourage and facilitate the development of children’s natural curiosity and social and language abilities through creative and social activities such as storytelling, imaginative play, songs, drawing, and games.
Support children’s wellbeing: Provide an environment that supports and values children and helps them to manage their own feelings and relationships with others.
Demonstrate when teaching: Present to others examples of your experience, skills, and competences that are appropriate to specific learning content to help students in their learning.
Give constructive feedback: Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work.
Apply intercultural teaching strategies: Ensure that the content, methods, materials and the general learning experience is inclusive for all students and takes into account the expectations and experiences of learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. Explore individual and social stereotypes and develop cross-cultural teaching strategies.
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of special educational needs teacher. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Workplace sanitation: The importance of a clean, sanitary workspace for example through use of hand disinfectant and sanitizer, in order to minimise infection risk between colleagues or when working with children.
Communication related to hearing impairment: The phonologic, morphologic and syntactic aspects and characteristics of human communication for individuals affected by hearing impairment.
Assessment processes: Various evaluation techniques, theories, and tools applicable in the assessment of students, participants in a programme, and employees. Different assessment strategies such as initial, formative, summative and self- assessment are used for varying purposes.
Visual disability: Impairment of the ability to naturally discern and process viewed images.
Hearing disability: Impairment of the ability to discern and process sounds naturally.
Learning difficulties: The learning disorders some students face in an academic context, especially Specific Learning Difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and concentration deficit disorders.
Primary school procedures: The inner workings of a primary school, such as the structure of the relevant education support and management, the policies, and the regulations.
Common children’s diseases: The symptoms, characteristics, and treatment of diseases and disorders that often affect children, such as the measles, chickenpox, asthma, the mumps, and head lice.
Mobility disability: Impairment of the ability to physically move naturally.
Behavioural disorders: The often emotionally disruptive types of behaviour a child or adult can show, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
Communication disorders: The malfunction in a person’s ability to comprehend, process and share concepts in various forms, such as verbal, non verbal or graphical during language, hearing, and speech communication processes.
Development delays: The condition in which a child or adult needs more time to reach certain development milestones than that needed by the average person not affected by a development delay.
Kindergarten school procedures: The inner workings of a kindergarten, such as the structure of the relevant education support and management, policies, and regulations.
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of special educational needs teacher. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Teach sign language: Instruct students with hearing impairments in the theory and practice of sign language, and more specifically in the understanding, use, and interpretation of these signs.
Support people with hearing impairment: Accompany the hearing-impaired to facilitate communication in various situations, such as training, work or administrative procedures. If necessary, gather information before appointments.
Escort students on a field trip: Accompany students on an educational trip outside the school environment and ensure their safety and cooperation.
Liaise with educational support staff: Communicate with education management, such as the school principal and board members, and with the education support team such as the teaching assistant, school counsellor or academic advisor on issues relating the students’ well-being.
Teach primary education class content: Instruct primary school students in the theory and practice of a variety of subjects, such as mathematics, languages, and nature studies, building the course content based on students’ existing knowledge and encouraging them to deepen their understanding on the subjects they’re interested in.
Maintain students’ discipline: Make sure students follow the rules and code of behaviour established in the school and take the appropriate measures in case of violation or misbehaviour.
Provide learning support: Provide the necessary support to students with general learning difficulties in literacy and numeracy to facilitate learning by assessing the learner’s development needs and preferences. Design formal and informal outcomes of learning and deliver materials that facilitate learning and development.
Assess students: Evaluate the students’ (academic) progress, achievements, course knowledge and skills through assignments, tests, and examinations. Diagnose their needs and track their progress, strengths, and weaknesses. Formulate a summative statement of the goals the student achieved.
Teach secondary education class content: Instruct students in the theory and practice of the secondary school course of your specialisation, taking into account the age of the students and modern teaching methods.
Manage resources for educational purposes: Identify the necessary resources needed for learning purposes, such as materials in class or arranged transportation for a field trip. Apply for the corresponding budget and follow up on the orders.
Teach kindergarten class content: Instruct pre-primary students in basic learning principles, in preparation for future formal learning. Teach them the principles of certain basic subjects such as number, letter, and colour recognition, days of the week, and the categorisation of animals and vehicles.
Teach braille: Instruct visually impaired or blind students in the theory and practice of braille, more specifically in the writing and understanding of braille, the alphabet, and the writing system.
Perform playground surveillance: Observe students’ recreational activities to ensure student safety and well-being and intervene when necessary.
Advise on lesson plans: Analyse policy issues which impact on students’ experience of education. Advise on the ways in which lesson plans for specific lessons can be improved in order to reach education goals, engage the students and adhere to the curriculum.
Attend to children’s basic physical needs: Tend to children by feeding them, dressing them, and, if necessary, regularly changing their diapers in a sanitary manner.
Teach digital literacy: Instruct students in the theory and practice of (basic) digital and computer competency, such as typing efficiently, working with basic online technologies, and checking email. This also includes coaching students in the proper use of computer hardware equipment and software programmes.
Secondary school procedures: The inner workings of a secondary school, such as the structure of the relevant education support and management, the policies, and the regulations.
Provide lesson materials: Ensure that the necessary materials for teaching a class, such as visual aids, are prepared, up-to-date, and present in the instruction space.
Organise creative performance: Organise an event in which participants can express their creativity, such as putting on a dance, theatre, or talent show.
Liaise with educational staff: Communicate with the school staff such as teachers, teaching assistants, academic advisors, and the principal on issues relating to students’ well-being. In the context of a university, liaise with the technical and research staff to discuss research projects and courses-related matters.
Facilitate motor skill activities: Organise activities that stimulate children’s motor skills, especially the more challenged children in a special education context.
Featured image: By West Midlands Police from West Midlands, United Kingdom – Day 106 – National Autism Awareness month – Uploaded by palnatoke, CC BY-SA 2.0
