I am looking for a teaching position that IS NOT in a mainstream school; I am looking for a job working at a school or organization that is specifically for Special Ed/ Autism/ SPD children....
I received some great answers to my last question but many of the suggestions were for people looking for jobs in states other than the one I live in... I am hoping there is someone out there who can help!
*I live in Florida (Orlando/Lake Mary area)
*I have my BS, and I am currently working on my Masters in Exceptional Student Education: Varying Exceptionalities (with a certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD))
Thank you, thank you!!
2007-05-02 05:39:51 · 8 answers · asked by allyz007 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Special Education
I'm an elementary school teacher-- I've worked with a few Autistic Kids (inclusion) in the past... it's not an easy job. :)
Florida has lots of jobs because of it's growing population-- sounds like you're in a good location!
Someone above suggested monster.com-- don't go there. Very few ("real") teaching jobs are posted there. Educationjobs.com might be a better place.
My best advice would be to talk to other teachers and people in the community to find out what special ed schools are in your area. WHen you find out what they are, apply-- whether they're hiring or not!
Call the schools' personnel offices and ask if there are any open position. If there are-- great! If not, ask if you can apply anyway so they can keep your paperwork on file. Then, f a last minute opening comes up (due to enrollment changes or maternity leaves or last-minute retirements or whatever), you'll be one of the few candidates whose paperwork is already in their hands.
Also-- when you apply, don't rely on Human Resource offices to call you back for interviews-- some do, some don't. Send a personalized letter to the principal of the school(s) you want to work at. Let him/her know you are interested and enclose your resume.
Why? Most principals have direct control over who is hired-- not HR offices. You want to make a friendly introduction to the principal so he can request your application if he has any openings.
Maybe this eBook can help you-- Guide to Getting a Teaching Job-- it's written for teachers in general, but there are a couple of references to special education in it. It has advice on where to find jobs, interview tips, interview questions and answers, etc. It's at: http://www.iwantateachingjob.com
Sorry I can't give you more geographic-specific help, but I'm in NY. :(
Best of luck... I hope you can find that job!
2007-05-03 14:12:32 · answer #1 · answered by TumbleTim 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first place I would start with is calling your local Early Intervention office as well as your Intermediate school district. These are the forerunners for provding special education services.They should have a list of any avalible openings. Also many families that have an ASD child contract therapists and teachers privately for in home work as insurance covers little. If the child has autism, most insurances are still getting away with covering next to nothing because they are still allowed to label autism a "developmental delay" and not a medical condition. If you are really interested in the ASD kids, I recommend you receive training in some type of therapy such as Floortime, ABA or RDI. Not many parents of autists do not usually one of these or a combination when working with their child.
Best wishes!
2007-05-02 07:59:33 · answer #2 · answered by blondbrainserenity 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Start with the online job search engine of your choice..Monster is a good one. Most will allow you to search for specific jobs in specified geographic areas. Next, break out the yellow pages and internet search engines and look up every community program and private school in your area that works with autistic children. Contact them to find out who is looking to hire and for what. Additionally, while looking, you may want to consider contacting tutorial services in your area. Many like to hire teachers with special ed backgrounds to work with students and while not a full time career, it can help pay the rent while you keep looking. I agree that using this time to get certification from any of the various programs out there that deal specifically with autism will be a smart move. Not only will it open up doors in working as a private educational consultant, but it will make you even more attractive as a hire to the other programs you may be considering.
I can understand your desire to work in a priavate program. I will say however, that many private programs tend to hire experienced classroom teachers over recent graduates...this is a field where experience does matter in many ways. Many school systems now have classes that handle autistic students specifically. You may want to see if there are any positions like that available where you live. Good luck!
2007-05-02 09:54:12 · answer #3 · answered by Annie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried National Autism sites such as autismspeaks.org? They may have some type of lead.
Also, some districts send send their high needs kids to special schools but they are not well publicized.
Maybe you can call someone (sped director) in your local school district and ask for resources/schools in your area.
If they won't disclose, then go "undercover" as a parent who may be moving into the district with a child with autism/behaviors and inquire about their schools and options....
Another option would be to call/check with local hospital/counseling/testing centers where they work with children with autism, and ask for any leads. Good Luck.
2007-05-02 17:54:06 · answer #4 · answered by fergusmcfortin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Council for Exceptional Children, a special education professional organization has a job connection site for it's members called "Career Connections." Their website is http://www.cec.sped.org/
Here are my other favorite Autism resources. Best of luck to you!
"Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" by Ellen Notbohm - http://www.southflorida.com/sfparenting/sfe-sfp-autism,0,6196233.story
Website of Paula Kluth, Ph.D. - http://www.paulakluth.com/autism.html
Positively Autism (free online magazine, includes free resources/activities) - http://www.positivelyautism.com
Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism by Temple Grandin, Ph.D. - http://www.autism.org/temple/tips.html
Terrific Traits of Autistic People - http://autism.about.com/od/inspirationideas/tp/besttraits.htm
2007-05-07 16:01:16 · answer #5 · answered by special-education-teacher 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow! That is so cool someone with my same passion. If you are willing to move come to San Antonio Texas. They have a public school in North Side ISD that is only for the Autism spectrum.
Also look in google for specialty schools for special needs.
2007-05-02 14:17:05 · answer #6 · answered by Lori C 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may want to try ARC, The Assoc. for Retarded Citizens, they provide a lot of diff. services to people with special needs, from infants all the way to adults. They are all over the nation. Good luck!
2007-05-07 14:23:05 · answer #7 · answered by Shekira 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to: abajobconnections at yahoogroups.
Tonya Boyce
Group Moderator
2007-05-04 09:45:37 · answer #8 · answered by Tonya B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋