Occupations · Educational Instruction and Library

Special Education Teachers, Elementary School

Teach academic, social, and life skills to elementary school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 25-2056.00

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Instruct students with disabilities in academic subjects, using a variety of techniques, such as phonetics, multisensory learning, or repetition to reinforce learning and meet students' varying needs.
Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
Modify the general elementary education curriculum for students with disabilities.
Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.
Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
Encourage students to explore learning opportunities or persevere with challenging tasks to prepare them for later grades.
Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, or social development.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Speaking4.2

Active Listening4.2

Learning Strategies4.1

Reading Comprehension4.1

Critical Thinking4.0

Writing3.8

Monitoring3.6

Active Learning3.5

Mathematics2.6

Science1.9

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft Word●American Sign Language BrowserChildren's educational softwareDrawing softwareEasyCBMEmail softwareIndividualized Educational Program IEP softwareNuance Dragon NaturallySpeakingRethink EdScientific Learning Fast ForWordScreen magnification softwareScreen reader softwareSynapse outSPOKENThe vOICe Learning EditionVoice activated softwareWeb browser softwaregoQ WordQ

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

4 / 5Considerable preparation — a four-year degree plus several years in the field.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets−1.8 below average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls−1.7 below average

Physical Proximity+1.3 above average

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment−1.2 below average

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment−1.2 below average

Frequency of Decision Making−1.1 below average

Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions−1.0 below average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2025-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Bachelor's Degree51%

Master's Degree38%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)10%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)0%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2025-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Social7.0

Investigative3.9

Artistic3.6

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Instructing4.2

Social Perceptiveness4.1

Judgment and Decision Making3.6

Service Orientation3.6

Complex Problem Solving3.5

Coordination3.4

Persuasion3.1

Time Management3.1

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Education and TrainingEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal ServiceComputers and ElectronicsMathematicsAdministration and Management

Abilities it leans on

Oral ExpressionOral ComprehensionProblem SensitivitySpeech ClarityWritten ComprehensionDeductive Reasoning

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

TeacherBlind TeacherBraille TeacherInterventionistSpecial EducatorInclusion TeacherReading SpecialistElementary TeacherResource SpecialistBehavior SpecialistLearning SpecialistLip Reading TeacherHome Therapy TeacherSign Language Teacher

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2020

Comparing O*NET release 25.1 (2020-11-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 2

+EasyCBM+Rethink Ed

No longer listed 1

−Word processing software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

TeacherBlind TeacherBraille TeacherInterventionistSpecial EducatorInclusion TeacherReading SpecialistElementary TeacherLip Reading TeacherLearning SpecialistBehavior SpecialistResource Specialist

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
special educational needs teacher primary school	2352.1.5	exact
special educational needs coordinator	2351.4	close
special educational needs teacher	2352.1	broader
special educational needs itinerant teacher	2352.1.4	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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