Special Education Teachers
Special Education Teachers
What Does a Special Education Teacher Do?
A Special Education Teacher, also known as a Special Educator, supports students who have disabilities. They provide instruction that matches their learning needs. They help develop and implement a student’s Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) by setting goals, delivering specialized instruction, and ensuring agreed-upon services and supports happen as planned. In practice, this includes adapting lessons and materials, providing accommodations, using strategies and tools like visual supports or assistive technology, and teaching skills that may include academics, communication, social-emotional learning, behavior regulation, and independence. Special Education Teachers work closely with families and school teams including paraeducators, general education teachers, school psychologists, and related service providers such as Speech-Language Pathologists for the individual with a disability.
A Special Education Teacher helps students with disabilities learn in ways that work for them. They teach new skills, support IEP goals, and work with families, paraeducators, and school teams to help students grow at school and beyond.
Explore Careers as a Special Education Teacher in Michigan
If you’re interested in helping to advance students with disabilities and building a meaningful career in education, becoming a special education teacher may be a strong fit.
OPTIMISE connects individuals with information, resources, and pathways to explore special education careers across Michigan.
Skills and Qualities of an Effective Special Education Teacher, also known as a Special Educator
Successful special education teachers often demonstrate:
- Ability to adapt instruction (teach the same goal in different ways)
- Clear, respectful communication (with students, families, and staff)
- Teamwork and collaboration (especially with paraeducators and general educators)
- Strong organization skill (IEPs, paperwork, schedules, progress notes)
School students with disabilities enjoy working with their Special Education Teacher to help guide their learning.
Education and Training Requirements for Special Education Teachers
Education and training requirements to become a Michigan Special Education Teacher include having a Michigan teaching certificate and adding a special education endorsement.
Michigan has three pathways to becoming a Special Education Teacher:
- Traditional program: General education preparation plus special education preparation → you finish with general education + special education endorsements.
- Expedited program: Special education preparation + professional prep sequence → you earn a special education endorsement, and you’re only eligible to teach in the special education program that matches that endorsement unless you later add general education coursework/endorsement.
- Alternative route (Interim Teaching Certificate/ITC): For people who already have a bachelor’s degree and are completing a fast-track program while employed; special education endorsements must be paired with a general education endorsement.
Core Requirements Regardless of Pathway
To earn Michigan certification, you will need to:
- Have a bachelor’s degree
- Complete a Michigan-approved educator preparation program for the endorsement you’re seeking (includes required clinical experiences)
- Complete required reading coursework (Michigan specifies 6 semester credit hours for elementary teachers or 3 semester credit hours for secondary teachers)
- Complete clinical experiences, including student teaching
- Pass the required MTTC exams tied to your endorsement
- Apply through MOECS (Michigan Online Educator Certification System)
Michigan Special Education Endorsements:
- SV – Autism Spectrum Disorder
- SA – Cognitive Impairment
- SL – Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- SE – Emotional Impairment
- SM – Learning Disabilities
- SP – Physical Education for Students with Disabilities
- SC – Physical and Other Health Impaired
- SB – Speech and Language Impairment
- SK – Visual Impairment
Alternative Route/Interim Teaching Certificate Route
The alternative route to teacher certification is a non-traditional preparation program designed for individuals who hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and are seeking to complete an expedited teacher prep program while employed as a teacher under an interim Teaching Certificate (ITC).
Michigan’s ITC certificates are limited to:
- Cognitive Impairments
- Emotional Impairments
- Learning Disabilities
- Physical or Other Health Impaired
Special Education Teacher Degrees
Click a green pin to pursue an advanced career as a Michigan Special Education Teacher
Michigan Special Education Teaching Areas
Cognitive Impairment (CI)
Students with cognitive impairment learn at a slower rate than “typical” students. Learning and independence levels vary, and programs will range from teaching academic and vocational skills, teaching daily living and pre-vocational skills, to teaching basic self-help skills. These students’ progress will often be measured with alternate assessments.
Teachers with Michigan’s Cognitive Impairment, code SA, may work across a range of cognitive-impariment programs including:
MiCI – Mild Cognitive Impairment
MoCI – Moderate Cognitive Impairment
SCI – Severe Cognitive Impairment
SXI – Severe Multiple Impairment
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Students with autism spectrum disorder have a lifelong developmental disability that adversely affects educational performance in academic, behavioral, and/or social ways. Students exhibit impairments in reciprocal social interactions; qualitative impairments in communication, and restricted range of interests/repetitive behavior. Unusual or inconsistent responses to sensory stimuli may also be present.
Emotional Impairment (EI)
Students with emotional impairment demonstrate behavioral problems, related to withdrawal, depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, physical complaints, etc., over an extended period of time that negatively affect their ability to learn.
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Students with a specific learning disability have a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
Physical or Other Health Impairment (POHI)
POHI teachers support students whose physical or health conditions affect their educational performance.
Teacher Consultant
Transition Coordinator
Special Education Teacher Financial Help
Michigan Scholarships & Grants
27m(7) First-Time National Board Certification Grant
27m Recognized Achievement National Board Grant
The 27m Recognized Achievement National Board Grant awards money to eligible teachers who hold National Board Certification at the time of application. Schools will need to apply on behalf of their teachers, and funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Teachers may receive up to $4,000. If employed in a schoolwide Title I building, teachers shall receive up to $10,000.
Talent Together
Talent Together helps you become a certified teacher. The program also helps elevate the professional credentials of existing teachers with “add-on endorsements” and mentorship training to be a lead with “teacher apprentices” at the school district.”
Michigan Reconnect Program
Michigan Reconnect is a scholarship program that pays you to attend your in-district community college tuition free or pays up to the in-district rate if you attend a community college where you’re considered out-of-district. Applicants must be 25 years old to apply.
Michigan Promise Zones
Thirteen Promise Zones have already begun awarding scholarships. Educators, businesses, families and civic leaders are also striving to embed a pervasive culture of learning in these communities – an essential ingredient in any recipe for education success.Â
Special Education Teacher Tuition Reimbursement Grant
The Special Education Teacher Tuition Reimbursement Grant can be used to cover tuition costs up to $800.00 per credit hour for a maximum of 18 credits per teacher over three years in alignment with the temporary approval process. Tuition reimbursement does not apply to repeat courses.Â
MI Future Educator Fellowship
Amount: $10,000
MI Future Educator Stipend
Amount: $9,600 Stipend
High School Graduate Michigan Achievement Scholarship
Amount: $2,000 – $5,500
Federal Scholarships & Grants
File Your FAFSA
Colleges and career schools use the FAFSA form to determine how much financial aid you’re eligible to receive, which could include grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans.You must apply for aid every year.
Federal Student Aid Estimator
The Federal Student Aid Estimator provides an estimate of how much federal student aid the student may be eligible to receive. These estimates are based on the Student Aid Index (SAI), an index to determine federal student aid eligibility.
Subsidized/Un-Subsidized Loans
Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans are federal student loans offered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to help eligible students cover the cost of higher education at a four-year college or university, community college, or trade, career, or technical school.
Pell Grant
A federal grant for undergraduate students with financial need.
Teacher Loan Forgiveness*
Amount: up to $17,500
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)*
If you’re employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the PSLF Program. The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans
*Borrowers can’t receive credit toward TLF and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for the same period of service. That means, if you seek and receive TLF, the five-year period of service that supported your eligibility will NOT count toward PSLF. We recommend that you consider whether you’re interested in PSLF before deciding to pursue TLF, because we can’t make changes once you receive forgiveness.
Graduate or Professional Direct PLUS Loan
Direct PLUS loans can help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. The U.S. Department of Education makes Direct PLUS Loans to eligible graduate or professional students through schools participating in the Direct Loan Program.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opptortunity Grant (FSEOG)
Grant for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need, administered directly by financial aid office at each participating school, not all schools participate
Federal Work-Study
part-time employment while enrolled in school, available to undergrad, grad, and professional students with financial need, available to full and part-time students, administered by participating schools, emphasizes employment in civic education and work related to course of study or civic education, on or off campus