How to become a Special Education Teaching Assistant

Official title: Teaching Assistants, Special Education

Also called: Assistant Instructor, Co-Teacher, Educational Assistant, Paraeducator, Paraprofessional (Para), SPED Aide (Special Education Aide), SPED Para (Special Education Paraprofessional), SPED TA (Special Education Teacher Assistant), TA (Teacher's Assistant), Teacher's Aide

Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher to provide academic, social, or life skills to students who have learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.

Main tasks

• Provide assistance to students with special needs.
• Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
• Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
• Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
• Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
• Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
• Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
• Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.

How to become one

To enter the occupation, teacher assistants typically need to have completed at least 2 years of college coursework.

Typical education to start: Some college, no degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Licence: A licence is required in 5 states.

Pay · Outlook

• About 1,463,000 people work in this job now, and about 1,458,000 are projected by 2035. (-0.3%)

Related jobs

• Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education
• Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary
• Instructional Coordinators
• Farm and Home Management Educators

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Special Education Teaching Assistant?

To enter the occupation, teacher assistants typically need to have completed at least 2 years of college coursework.

Is a Special Education Teaching Assistant a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 1,463,000 people now and 1,458,000 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Special Education Teaching Assistant?

Not always. 34% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.