A master’s degree in Special Education is currently one of the most important and useful degrees in the field of education. For many of us, the term “Special-Ed” brings to mind images of children with Down Syndrome or other mental handicaps. Today however, special education includes a much broader scope like students with ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, or a myriad of other learning differences requiring accommodations.
A learning difference (LD)—previously referred to as a “learning disability”—is any disorder involving auditory, visual, intellectual, emotional, or tactile issues that impair a student’s ability to learn or process information.
An individual with a Special Education Master’s degree possesses skills in adapting traditional lesson plans and translating them into forms that LD students can understand. Special Ed. teachers may work with students one-on-one during special sessions where the student is pulled out of his or her regular classroom, or they may operate in an “integrated classroom,” working alongside the classroom teacher and providing support to all the students so that those with LD do not feel singled out. students with more significant impairments such as autism, physical and mental handicaps, or extreme emotional disorders. Students with more significant impairments such as autism, physical and mental handicaps, or extreme emotional disorders may have their own classroom to better serve them.
Between 1999 and 2008, the dropout rate for students with LD decreased by 20%, and much of that is due to the increase in professionals skilled in understanding the challenges posed by learning differences. One cannot understand a deviation from the norm without first understanding the norm. Individuals pursuing an online Master’s degree in Special Education have the freedom of teaching in traditional classroom settings before entering into their area of specialization with the alternative populations.
A Master’s degree in Special Education does not limit its graduates to a k-12 environment. Graduates with a Masters in Special Education can expand their sphere of influence to advance the cause and quality of special education in administrative, supervisory, or legal capacities. Furthermore, there are opportunities for working with adults in higher education or caretaker capacities as well.
A career in special education is rewarding for individuals who have a nurturing spirit and who desire to see their students succeed, no matter what barriers lie before the students. Pursuing a Master of Arts in Special Education opens the doors for education to change lives, one student at a time.
To help you find the right online Special Education master’s programs, we developed our latest article: “The 30 Best Online Master in Special Education Master Degree Programs.”