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Occupation AtlasTeaching Assistants, Special Education

O*NET · 25-9043.00

Teaching Assistants, Special Education

Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher to provide academic, social, or life skills to students who have learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.

Also called Assistant Instructor · Basic Skills Improvement Program Instructional Aide (BSIP Instructional Aide) · BSIP Instructional Aide · Classroom Paraprofessional · Co-Teacher · Early Childhood SPED PARA · Early Childhood SPED PARA (Early Childhood Special Education Paraprofessional) · Education Support Professional
35 more

Educational Assistant · Para · Paraeducator · Paraprofessional (Para) · Special Needs Para · Special Needs Para (Special Needs Paraprofessional) · Special Programs Instructional Assistant · Specialized Programs TA · Specialized Programs TA (Specialized Programs Teacher Assistant) · SPED Aide · SPED Aide (Special Education Aide) · SPED Assistant · SPED Assistant (Special Education Assistant) · SPED Assistant (Special Educational Assistant) · SPED Associate · SPED Associate (Special Education Associate) · SPED Classroom Aide · SPED Classroom Aide (Special Education Classroom Aide) · SPED Instructional Aide · SPED Instructional Aide (Special Education Instructional Aide) · SPED Instructional Assistant · SPED Instructional Assistant (Special Education Instructional Assistant) · SPED Para · SPED Para (Special Education Paraprofessional) · SPED Paraeducator · SPED Paraeducator (Special Education Paraeducator) · SPED TA · SPED TA (Special Education Teacher Assistant) · SPED TA (Special Education Teaching Assistant) · SPED Teacher Aide · SPED Teacher Aide (Special Education Teacher Aide) · TA · TA (Teacher's Assistant) · TA (Teaching Assistant) · Teacher's Aide

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code SCA35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Substitute Teachers, Short-Term

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

SCASocial · Conventional · Artistic — the three strongest interests, in order

  • S Social7.00
  • C Conventional3.57
  • A Artistic3.34
  • I Investigative3.29
  • E Enterprising2.14
  • R Realistic1.98

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent25%
  • Some College Courses18%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree15%
  • Bachelor's Degree39%
  • Master's Degree4%
Related work experience
None (37%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (78%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (35%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic3.93.4Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Social Perceptiveness3.83.4Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Speakingbasic3.83.3Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Learning Strategiesbasic3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Monitoringbasic3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Service Orientation3.63.1Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Instructing3.53.0Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Writingbasic3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Coordination3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Persuasion3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
Show the other 23

Tasks

20 core · 10 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Provide assistance to students with special needs.4.6
  2. Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.4.5
  3. Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.4.4
  4. Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.4.2
  5. Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.4.1
  6. Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.4.1
  7. Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.4.0
  8. Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.4.0
  9. Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.4.0
  10. Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.4.0
  11. Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.3.9
  12. Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.3.9
Show the other 18
  1. Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, or food preparation.3.8
  2. Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.3.8
  3. Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.3.7
  4. Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.3.7
  5. Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.3.5
  6. Clean classrooms.3.3
  7. Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.3.1
  8. Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.3.0
  9. Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices.3.8
  10. Assist in bus loading and unloading.3.7
  11. Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.3.6
  12. Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories, and assist students with hardware and software use.3.5
  13. Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems.3.4
  14. Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review.3.4
  15. Assist librarians in school libraries.3.1
  16. Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.2.9
  17. Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies.2.9
  18. Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.2.8

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • English Language3.53.3Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Psychology3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Education and Training2.92.5Level 1 looks like: Show someone how to bowl
  • Customer and Personal Service2.83.3Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Mathematics2.73.0Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • History and Archeology2.62.4Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Public Safety and Security2.62.3Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Communications and Media2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
Show all 33
  • Geography2.43.0Level 4 looks like: Find a specific country on a world map
  • Sociology and Anthropology2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Therapy and Counseling2.43.0Level 4 looks like: Provide job counseling to the unemployed
  • Computers and Electronics2.32.6
  • Philosophy and Theology2.32.7
  • Administration and Management2.21.7Level 1 looks like: Approve a reimbursement request
  • Medicine and Dentistry2.21.5Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Administrative2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Direct phone calls to the appropriate staff member
  • Law and Government2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Chemistry1.91.8Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Fine Arts1.91.3Level 1 looks like: Attend a popular music concert
  • Personnel and Human Resources1.91.1Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Biology1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Telecommunications1.70.7Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Transportation1.70.8Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Economics and Accounting1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Design1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Engineering and Technology1.40.6Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Foreign Language1.40.6Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Physics1.40.6Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Food Production1.30.4Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Production and Processing1.30.6Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Sales and Marketing1.30.7Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Building and Construction1.2—
  • Mechanical1.2—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.03.8Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Problem Sensitivity3.83.5Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Speech Clarity3.83.3Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.83.4Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Near Vision3.63.5Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Written Comprehension3.63.4Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Deductive Reasoning3.43.1Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
Show all 52
  • Fluency of Ideas3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Information Ordering3.32.9Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Written Expression3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Auditory Attention3.12.4Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Inductive Reasoning3.12.9Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Selective Attention3.12.6Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Category Flexibility3.02.9Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Originality3.02.8Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Time Sharing3.02.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Far Vision2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Flexibility of Closure2.82.4Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Perceptual Speed2.82.1Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Memorization2.62.8
  • Speed of Closure2.62.5Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Trunk Strength2.52.3Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.32.0Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Visualization2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.11.4Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Number Facility2.11.6Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Stamina2.11.4Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Static Strength2.11.6Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Gross Body Coordination2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Dynamic Strength1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Extent Flexibility1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Multilimb Coordination1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Explosive Strength1.60.9
  • Manual Dexterity1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Sound Localization1.5—
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness1.4—
  • Finger Dexterity1.40.6
  • Reaction Time1.40.6
  • Peripheral Vision1.3—
  • Response Orientation1.3—
  • Control Precision1.1—
  • Depth Perception1.1—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.1—
  • Spatial Orientation1.1—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.1—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Rate Control1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Getting Information4.33.2Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Assisting and Caring for Others4.13.8Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.84.3Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.73.8Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.63.4Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
Show all 41
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.63.7Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Training and Teaching Others3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.22.5Level 1 looks like: Record the weight of a patient during a routine health exam
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.23.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Thinking Creatively3.23.2Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Working with Computers3.12.5Level 1 looks like: Enter employee information into a database
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.02.6
  • Developing and Building Teams3.02.4Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.02.6
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.02.6
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others2.82.7
  • Processing Information2.82.4Level 1 looks like: Calculate the costs for shipping packages
  • Scheduling Work and Activities2.82.7
  • Performing General Physical Activities2.72.4Level 1 looks like: Walk between workstations in a small office
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.62.4Level 1 looks like: Check tickets at a concert
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.62.3Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that requires little advising of others
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.52.3Level 1 looks like: Skim a short article to gather the main point
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials2.41.5Level 1 looks like: Check that doors to building are locked
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Have little contact with people outside the organization
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information2.21.6Level 1 looks like: Estimate the size of household furniture to be shipped
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.22.6
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources1.91.3Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Performing Administrative Activities1.91.5Level 1 looks like: Complete routine paperwork
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.81.2Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Selling or Influencing Others1.71.1Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Controlling Machines and Processes1.61.3Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.51.0Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.51.0Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.41.0Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Contact With Others4.9
  • Physical Proximity4.9
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.4
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.3
  • Frequency of Decision Making3.9
  • E-Mail3.7
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable3.7
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities3.6
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results3.6

Technology

30 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (1)

  • Microsoft Office softwarehot

Hot (4; 1 more marked hot above)

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (25)
  • Appletree
  • Automate the Schools ATS
  • Blackboard software
  • Children's educational software
  • ClassDojo
  • Email software
  • Flipgrid
  • Google Classroom
  • Google Meet
  • Hand held spell checkers
  • High School Scheduling and Transcript HSST
  • Kahoot!
  • Loom
  • Padlet
  • ParentSquare
  • Quizlet
  • Schoology
  • Screen magnification software
  • Screen reader software
  • Seesaw
  • Special Education Student Information System SESIS
  • Student information systems SIS software
  • Tadpoles
  • Text to speech software
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten
  2. Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
  3. Special Education Teachers, Elementary School
  4. Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education
  5. Special Education Teachers, Middle School
  6. Instructional Coordinators
  7. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
  8. Special Education Teachers, Preschool
  9. Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
  10. Tutors

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.