Special Education Assistant

Overview

If you believe you’d find it personally satisfying to help special needs children and adolescents in a school or social service agency, look into pursuing a career as a Special Education Assistant.

As a Special Education Assistant you’ll assist elementary and secondary school teachers as they work with students requiring special needs instruction.  You will learn about behavior management techniques, including foundational knowledge in Applied Behaviour Analysis.

As you’ll discover, there are few things in life as rewarding as helping an individual with special needs achieve their full potential in life.

Please note that the job title “Educational Assistant” is growing in use and is replacing “Special Education Assistant”. The title “Teacher Assistant” is being used less as time goes on.

Here are some things you should know about this challenging career and how to enter it through the Special Education Assistant Diploma Program at Stenberg College...

Typical Job Duties

Following, are examples of some typical job duties:

• Preparing the classroom for students with exceptionalities
• Working with teachers, administrators, students, and others to ensure that the needs of special students are met
• Assisting children in learning class material using the teacher’s lesson plans and providing individualized attention
• Providing instructional support for classroom teachers, allowing them more time for lesson planning and teaching
• Supervising students in the cafeteria, schoolyard, hallways or on field trips
• Escorting special needs students to and from transportation
• Recording grades, setting up equipment, and helping prepare materials for instruction

Potential Employers

As a Special Education Assistant, you could find employment in a:

• Public school
• Private school
• Community or youth drop-in centre
• Home-based therapy program
• Residential setting
• Parks and recreation program

Top Reasons to Choose Stenberg

1. You can complete our Special Education Assistant program in just 9 months, saving you time and allowing you to enter the work force quickly so you can start earning a wage sooner.

2. The teaching method is the cohort model and the classes mimic how the school system works. You’ll collaborate with other students and work through the program together. This collaborative experience will give you an advantage when you start your first job.

3. Each instructor is an expert in the content area being taught.  Instructors have real world experience, so they can draw upon their own extensive work scenarios to broaden your education.

4. The program is intensive and evidence-based. After graduation, you’ll be well-prepared and work-ready, confident that you’ll be able to handle anything that comes your way.

5. The program is regularly reviewed and updated in consultation with industry to ensure that it meets the needs and expectations of employers.

6. More than simply learning a set of technical skills, our programs inspire and enhance personal growth and development.  Stenberg College is committed to empowerment through education and ensures that students have the fundamental skills to excel in their program and to succeed in their life, both personally and professionally.

7. In its commitment to student success, Stenberg College offers its students an unparalleled range of support services including free ESL programs, study and life skills coaching, typing tutorials and campus life events.  Speak to your Program Advisor for more details.

8. Our Career and Graduate Services staff members organize industry presentations on a quarterly basis.  Recruiters come and speak directly to students prior to graduation.  We are committed to helping you find employment immediately upon graduation. 

Speak to your Program Advisor for more details.

Wages and Career Outlook

Based on employment statistics gathered by Stenberg College, the wage range of students who complete the Special Education Assistant program and are working in their field of study is $18 to $24 per hour.

Use the following sites to obtain more information about career outlooks. The related national occupation classification numbers – a system used to group and survey jobs – is “6472”. Please realize that these figures are based on groupings of a large number of related jobs. Wages and career outlook may differ due to your education level, job location, and the type of employer you work for.
The following list shows some other sources for career research. By no means is this a comprehensive list, but it is a place to start:

• BC Work Futures, http://www.workfutures.bc.ca
• Provincial Government Jobbank, www.jobsetc.ca
• New Westminster Community Development Society, http://www.newwestced.bc.ca
• Ontario Job Futures, http://www.ontariojobfutures.ca
• Alberta Occupational Profiles, http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/occinfo

Is This Program for You?

It is if you:

• like working with children or adolescents
• enjoy seeing children learn and grow
• find it satisfying to care for others
• have the patience and compassion to help those who are physically, behaviourally, or mentally challenged
• have an interest in assisting or supporting others

Program Admission Requirements

• Completion of Grade 12 or equivalent
• Passing Entrance Examination with a score of 70% or more (Canadian Adult Achievement Test:  Reading, Spelling & Math)
• Passing formal entrance interview with a score of 70% or more
• Successful completion of a short written essay
• Verbal Test of English (if English is a Second Language)

Additional Program Requirements
Students must provide the following to their Program Advisor prior to program start:

• Acceptable criminal record check
• Acceptable medical examination report
• Negative TB test report or clear chest X-ray
• Reference letter stating suitability to work with children
• Written proof of 50 hours of volunteer work with children  (prior to first day of classes) 

Duration and Financing

Duration: 36 weeks including a practicum

Financing: You could be eligible for HRDC funding, government student loans and other financing options; the Stenberg College Financial Aid Officer would be happy to provide further assistance.

Practicum Placements

The following school districts have accepted practicum placements:

Additional Certification

The program also includes essential industry-related training and certification in:

First Aid & CPR Level One
You’ll receive certificates in both basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
WHMIS trainers provide information about materials in the workplace that can be hazardous, such as cleaning agents, compressed gases and flammable materials. Becoming WHMIS certified will demonstrate that you are able to identify hazardous materials and handle them properly. 

FOODSAFE Level 1
You’ll learn how to prepare food in a way that protects people from injury or illness. Some of the topics covered are food-borne diseases, personal hygiene, and safe procedures for storing.

Non-Violent Crisis Intervention
For your protection, you’ll learn how to deal with people who are disruptive or out of control, using verbal techniques for de-escalating conflict and restraint techniques when physical intervention is necessary.  

Program Courses

Learning Adaptations
Brain-based and cooperative learning theories will be presented in this course. You’ll be given opportunities to develop strategies for planning, implementing, and monitoring learning based on individual differences, needs, and abilities. You’ll gain an understanding of learning styles and explore teaching, learning, and adaptation theories relating to teaching methodology. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to make distinctions between individual learning differences for yourself, instructors, and your fellow students. Diversity in the context of social, emotional, physical, and cognitive systems of learning will be explored, with emphasis being placed on inclusive education.

Life Span Development
Human development will be explored from birth to late childhood and from adolescence to early adulthood. You’ll be guided through a brief, but intense, theoretical examination of the concepts and principles of human development, change, and diversity. Special emphasis will be placed on childhood and adolescent development issues in relation to learning, growth, and maturation. The biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional characteristics of development will be reviewed in each stage of growth. This course will focus on assisting you to develop awareness of the characteristics of children and adolescents at their various stages of development, and acquiring the skills for maintaining health and safety in a school environment.

Disabilities in Childhood
It is vital to have a clear understanding of developmental and other disabilities in childhood, and developmental disorders commonly found in the community. You’ll learn about the various characteristics of disabling conditions, the history and philosophy of support, and associated theoretical, social, and ideological models. Emphasis will be placed on developing ethical and professional approaches to care. You will gain skills to help you understand, respect, and promote the self-determination of individuals with learning needs and developmental disabilities.

Topics will include a focus on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and FASD Spectrum, as well as other conditions. In addition, you’ll learn about classification and diagnostic processes, etiology, symptoms, epidemiology, and treatment approaches for major developmental disabilities.

Observation and Recording
The purpose of this course is to provide you with a general understanding of the theory of observing and recording. In a classroom setting you’ll learn about the purpose, standards, influences, and methods used. You’ll develop an awareness of ethical and professional conduct through understanding the importance of confidentiality and an individual’s right to privacy. You’ll focus on the general characteristics of each recording method and apply your knowledge through group work focusing on classroom-based case studies. There will also be an opportunity for you to apply general observation principles and recording methods outside of the classroom setting.

Alternative and Augmentative Communication
You’ll gain an understanding of augmentative (supporting) and alternative (replacing) ways to communicate focusing on defining, implementing, and enhancing communication using new methods in a classroom setting. You’ll further develop your communication skills and understanding of aided and unaided communication methods through participation in an American Sign Language (ASL) workshop and research projects. The focus will be on the general characteristics of each communication method and applying your knowledge through group work focusing on classroom-based case studies. 

Communication and Diversity in Family Systems
The Communication and Diversity course will provide you with the opportunity to examine your own values, beliefs, attitudes, and tolerance levels in relation to your role in supporting and assisting special education students. It will focus on theoretical and practical communication strategies, such as interviewing and feedback skills, to promote effective communication between yourself, students, and co-workers in the school environment. You will be encouraged to gain awareness of your own communication style and the challenges that other communication styles may pose. Coursework will also cover building healthy relationships and understanding child abuse, with an emphasis being placed on inclusive education within the school environment. 

Applied Behaviour Analysis
The Applied Behaviour Analysis course will provide you with a conceptual framework in which to assess, document, and respond to the behaviour of students you will support in educational settings. A variety of contemporary approaches, such as Lovaasian Applied Behaviour Analysis, Sensory Integration Therapy, Functional Analysis, and Operant Learning Theory will be discussed.  You’ll have the opportunity to apply concepts, such as Discrete Trial Teaching and Content/Process Task Analysis, as learning activities in a classroom setting using case studies provided by the Ministry of Education.

Working in Canadian Schools
You’ll explore the typical roles, duties, responsibilities, and practices of Special Education Assistants within school communities. Team approaches will be considered for enhancing your understanding of the school experience. Emphasis will be placed on a variety of educational settings, programs, and relationships that Special Education Assistants typically encounter.

Personal Care
In this course, you’ll integrate the theory and practice of providing personal care for students with physical and developmental disabilities. You’ll learn and practice care skills related to conditions such as asthma, type I and type II diabetes, and various disorders in a laboratory setting. This course will include personal hygiene, oral care, assisting with bathroom routines, and proper body mechanics for lifting and transferring.

First Practicum (Elementary)
This will provide you with the opportunity to apply your learned theory and practical skills in an elementary school setting. You’ll be required to complete a practicum project approved by the onsite supervisor and the practicum monitor, and will be required to meet regularly with both supervisors.

Second Practicum (Secondary)
With your second practicum, you’ll expand your experience to a secondary or middle school setting. You’ll again be required to complete a practicum project approved by the onsite supervisor and the practicum monitor, and will be required to meet regularly with both supervisors.

Career Search Strategies
This course focuses on developing professional job search techniques, including; learning styles, leadership styles and success strategies.  You will learn how to effectively complete application forms, create cover letters and resumes, build skills and confidence for job interviews, and research labour market trends; all tasks related to getting and keeping a job.