The Special Education Specialist plays a vital role in designing and implementing high-quality educational programs tailored to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. This role focuses on developing individualized learning experiences, supporting educators in refining their teaching methods, and ensuring compliance with special education standards. The Specialist is also responsible for creating educational content for outreach, collaborating on event planning, and guiding the development of curriculum and behavior intervention plans. By working closely with multidisciplinary teams, parents, and the wider community, the Specialist helps ensure that every student’s academic, social, and emotional needs are met. In addition, the role involves content creation for educational materials, supporting internal and external communications to enhance community engagement and the visibility of programs.
Key Responsibilities
1. Program Development and Scheme of Work
- Develop comprehensive schemes of work for all special education programs, ensuring alignment with the curriculum, learning objectives, and student needs.
- Collaborate with educators to ensure proper execution of the scheme of work through BIPs (Behavior Intervention Plans), MIPs (Movement Intervention Plans), and lesson plans.
2. Vetting and Monitoring Plans
- Vet and Monitor: Review and approve BIPs, MIPs, and lesson plans developed by educators, ensuring alignment with educational goals and best practices.
- Classroom Observation: Regularly observe classroom activities to ensure lessons are conducted according to the lesson plans and to identify areas where educators can improve.
3. Mentorship and Educator Development
- Provide continuous mentorship to educators, offering guidance, constructive feedback, and support to improve their teaching techniques and classroom management.
- Identify areas for improvement in educators’ performance and tailor mentoring sessions to address these gaps.
- Teacher Training: Conduct workshops and training sessions to upskill educators in effective teaching strategies, behavior management, and special education best practices.
4. Support and Guidance on Student Issues
- Act as a resource for educators when challenges arise with students, providing expert advice and strategies to manage behavior, improve engagement, or support learning.
- Facilitate meetings between educators and other specialists (therapists, counselors, etc.) to coordinate comprehensive student support.
5. Content Vetting for Marketing and Communications
- Vetting educational program materials, event-related content, and any marketing communications to ensure they align with the organization’s mission and standards
- Collaborate with the marketing team to promote key educational programs and initiatives.
6. Internal and External Events
- Play an active role in organizing and supporting internal and external events such as workshops, educational fairs, open houses, and community outreach programs.
- Represent the organization at events, delivering presentations and facilitating discussions on special education practices and the organization’s programs.
- Collaborate with the events team to ensure educational objectives are highlighted in public events and campaigns.
7. Collaboration with Multidisciplinary Teams
- Work closely with therapists, counselors, and other specialists to provide holistic support for students, ensuring that all educational and behavioral plans are aligned across teams.
- Communicate regularly with parents and caregivers to keep them informed of their child’s progress and collaborate on goal setting.
8. Administrative and Compliance Tasks
- Ensure all necessary documentation related to student progress, IEPs, and other special education services is completed accurately and on time.
- Oversee adherence to compliance with educational laws and regulations governing special education.
- Prepare reports and communicate updates on program performance to upper management.
9. Data Collection and Program Evaluation
- Collect and analyze data on student progress and program effectiveness to ensure continuous improvement of educational strategies.
- Make recommendations for program adjustments based on data-driven insights to meet student needs more effectively.
- Develop and maintain systems for tracking student performance in alignment with IEP objectives.
Skills and Qualifications
1. Educational Background
- Diploma/Degree in Special Education, Educational Psychology, or a related field.
- Certification in special education, with additional credentials in areas like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), or other relevant fields preferred.
2. Experience
- At least 5 years of experience working in special education, with a strong background in developing and implementing IEPs.
- Proven ability to lead teams and mentor educators in the area of special needs instruction.
- Experience working with a range of disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and emotional/behavioral disorders.
3. Skills
- Special Education and Behavioral Intervention Expertise: In-depth knowledge of special education methodologies, including differentiated instruction, curriculum development, and individualized learning plans (IEPs). Proficient in developing and implementing behavior intervention plans (BIPs) and employing positive behavior support strategies to address challenging behaviors, with experience across a variety of disabilities (ASD, ADHD, intellectual and physical disabilities).
- Leadership, Mentoring, and Collaboration: Strong ability to conduct workshops, mentor and coach educators, providing guidance, constructive feedback, and support. Effectively lead initiatives and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, fostering positive working relationships with educators, parents, and external professionals.
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Excellent communication skills for engaging with educators, parents, and external partners. Ability to convey complex educational information in an understandable way to different stakeholders.
- Organizational and Documentation Skills: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple educational programs, track progress, and ensure accurate and timely documentation of student records and educator reports.
- Programme Evaluation Skills: Strong project management and program evaluation skills, with the ability to track the effectiveness of educational programs and make improvements based on data-driven insights.
- Problem-Solving and Adaptability: Capacity to think critically and adapt teaching strategies to meet the evolving needs of students and educators in a dynamic educational environment.
- Professional Development: Commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest trends in special education through continuous learning, and the ability to share new insights with the team.
