Working with children and adults with special needs can be very challenging but hugely rewarding. There are many different roles and jobs that involve working with people with special needs and if you want to pursue a different career there is always the possibility of volunteering, which involves working for free.

Special educational needs teaching

Special educational needs teachers are employed to work specifically with children or adults with special educational needs. Special educational needs may involve a range of different health conditions, developmental conditions, learning difficulties and behavioural disorders. The work of an SEN teacher is usually varied and interesting. You may work with a number of different children who have different needs; for example, you may work with a child with dyslexia, a child with a physical disability and a child with behavioural problems all in the same day. Typical roles and jobs carried out by SEN teachers include preparing lessons, meeting with other teachers, health professionals and social workers to discuss a child’s progress, teaching an individual child or a small group of children, doing administration, talking to parents or guardians and assessing children to see what kind of help they need. In order to become an SEN teacher you must have either a QTS or PGCE. You may also require specific training to work with certain students; for example, if you want to work with blind children, you will need to pursue further training.