Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 25-2058.00
Teach academic, social, and life skills to secondary school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
High· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.099
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.28
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 23 hidden tasks40 rated tasks · 20 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (50.0%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Tasks of O*NET-SOC 2010 occupation 25-2054.00 Special Education Teachers, Secondary School, linked to this occupation by the O*NET-SOC 2010 to 2019 crosswalk
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.25-2054.00 | 0.387353.7 | 0.073245.5 |
Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.25-2054.00 | 0.077210.7 | 0.034521.5 |
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.25-2054.00 | 0.05657.8 | 0.00774.8 |
Guide and counsel students with adjustment or academic problems, or special academic interests.25-2054.00 | 0.03945.5 | 0.00573.5 |
Provide additional instruction in vocational areas.25-2054.00 | 0.03825.3 | 0.00493.1 |
Teach personal development skills such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy.25-2054.00 | 0.03244.5 | 0.00523.3 |
Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.25-2054.00 | 0.02213.1 | 0.00462.9 |
Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.25-2054.00 | 0.01992.8 | 0.01116.9 |
Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.25-2054.00 | 0.01802.5 | 0.00523.3 |
Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities.25-2054.00 | 0.00691.0 | —0 |
Administer standardized ability and achievement tests and interpret results to determine students' strengths and areas of need.25-2054.00 | 0.00450.6 | 0.00251.5 |
Sponsor extracurricular activities such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.25-2054.00 | 0.00420.6 | —0 |
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.25-2054.00 | 0.00400.6 | 0.00603.7 |
Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.25-2054.00 | 0.00350.5 | —0 |
Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.25-2054.00 | 0.00300.4 | —0 |
Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress.25-2054.00 | 0.00250.3 | —0 |
Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of secondary school programs.25-2054.00 | 0.00180.2 | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.O*NET Task ID 6784 | 1.0 |
Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.O*NET Task ID 6794 | 1.0 |
Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.O*NET Task ID 6814 | 1.0 |
Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence.O*NET Task ID 6815 | 1.0 |
Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.O*NET Task ID 6788 | 0.5 |
Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.O*NET Task ID 6789 | 0.5 |
Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.O*NET Task ID 6791 | 0.5 |
Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.O*NET Task ID 6795 | 0.5 |
Modify the general education curriculum for special-needs students, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and technologies.O*NET Task ID 6796 | 0.5 |
Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.O*NET Task ID 6801 | 0.5 |
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.O*NET Task ID 6802 | 0.5 |
Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.O*NET Task ID 6804 | 0.5 |
Provide additional instruction in vocational areas.O*NET Task ID 6807 | 0.5 |
Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools.O*NET Task ID 6808 | 0.5 |
Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula.O*NET Task ID 6809 | 0.5 |
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.O*NET Task ID 6811 | 0.5 |
Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and needs.O*NET Task ID 6812 | 0.5 |
Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of secondary school programs.O*NET Task ID 6813 | 0.5 |
Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.O*NET Task ID 6818 | 0.5 |
Provide interpretation and transcription of regular classroom materials through Braille and sign language.O*NET Task ID 6822 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (40)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. | Core |
| Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement. | Core |
| Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. | Core |
| Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students. | Core |
| Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development. | Core |
| Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies. | Core |
| Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory. | Core |
| Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate. | Core |
| Teach personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy. | Core |
| Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks. | Core |
| Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students. | Core |
| Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions. | Core |
| Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and technologies. | Core |
| Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress. | Core |
| Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. | Core |
| Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs. | Core |
| Guide and counsel students with adjustments, academic problems, or special academic interests. | Core |
| Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes. | Core |
| Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. | Core |
| Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements. | Core |
| Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress. | Core |
| Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation. | Core |
| Meet with parents and guardians to provide guidance in using community resources and to teach skills for dealing with students' impairments. | Core |
| Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools. | Core |
| Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula. | Core |
| Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations. | Core |
| Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and needs. | Core |
| Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of secondary school programs. | Core |
| Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors. | Core |
| Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. | Core |
| Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities. | Core |
| Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required. | Core |
| Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. | Core |
| Provide additional instruction in vocational areas. | Supplemental |
| Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage. | Supplemental |
| Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies. | Supplemental |
| Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading. | Supplemental |
| Visit schools to tutor students with sensory impairments and to consult with teachers regarding students' special needs. | Supplemental |
| Provide interpretation and transcription of regular classroom materials through Braille and sign language. | Supplemental |
| Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests. | Supplemental |
0.03/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation. | E0 none |
| Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage. | E0 none |
| Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities. | E0 none |
| Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies. | E0 none |
| Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading. | E0 none |
| Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 165K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 165K
- Change (2025–35)
- -0.2%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $74,260
- Typical education needed for entry
- Bachelor's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26239 | 그 외 특수교육 교사 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
| 26231 | 시각장애인 특수교육 교사 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 26232 | 청각장애인 특수교육 교사 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 2352Special Needs Teachers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Special needs teachers teach physically or mentally handicapped children, young persons, or adults, or those with learning difficulties or other special needs. They promote the social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of their students.
Tasks
- (a) assessing students' abilities and limitations with regard to intellectual, physical, social and emotional impairments, exceptional intellectual gifts, or other specific problems;
- (b) designing or modifying curricula and preparing and delivering programmes, lessons and activities adapted to students’ abilities and needs;
- (c) giving instruction on an individual or group basis using special techniques or aids appropriate to students’ needs;
- (d) employing special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory;
- (e) establishing and enforcing rules for behaviour and policies and procedures to maintain order among students;
- (f) teaching academic subjects and practical and self-help skills to students with hearing, sight and other impairments;
- (g) stimulating and developing students’ confidence interests, abilities, manual skills and coordination;
- (h) conferring with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons for special needs students;
- (i) preparing and maintaining student data and other records and submitting reports;
- (j) administering various forms of assessment and evaluating progress of each student;
- (k) conferring with students, parents, head teacher and other relevant professionals involved in the students’ care to develop individual educational plans designed to promote students' development.
Example occupations
Learning disabilities special education teacher · Learning support teacher · Remedial teacher · Teacher of gifted children · Teacher of the hearing impaired · Teacher of the sight impaired
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- special educational needs teacher secondary schoolESCO 2352.1.6Same scope
Special educational needs teachers at secondary schools provide specially-designed instruction to students on with a variety of disabilities on a secondary school level and ensure they reach their learning potential. Some special educational needs teachers at secondary schools work with children who have mild to moderate disabilities, implementing a modified curriculum to fit each student's specific needs. Other special educational needs teachers at secondary schools assist and instruct students with intellectual disabilities and autism, focusing on teaching them basic and advanced literacy, life and social skills. All teachers assess the students' progress, taking into account their strengths and weaknesses, and communicate their findings to parents, counselors, administrators and other parties involved.
- special educational needs teacherESCO 2352.1This occupation is narrower
Special educational needs teachers work with and teach children, young people, and adults with an intellectual or physical disability. They use a range of specialised concepts, strategies and tools to optimise learners' communication, mobility, autonomy, and social integration. They select teaching methods and support resources to enable individual learners to maximise their potential for independent living.
- learning support teacherESCO 2352.1.3Overlapping, not the same
Learning support teachers assist students who have general learning difficulties. Learning support teachers focus on basic skills such as numeracy and literacy and thus teach basic subjects such as writing, reading, math and languages and they work for an educational institution such as a primary or secondary school. They support students in their school work, plan learning strategies, identify their learning needs and progress, and act accordingly. They can work in various educational set-ups and act as support for other teachers or manage their own class.
- special educational needs assistantESCO 5312.4Overlapping, not the same
Special educational needs assistants assist special education teachers in their classroom duties. They tend to the physical needs of students with a variety of disabilities and help out with tasks such as bathroom breaks, bus rides, eating and classroom switches. They also provide instructional support to students, teachers and parents and prepare lesson programmes. Special educational needs assistants supply support for students tailored to their specific needs, help out with challenging assignments and monitor students' progress and classroom behaviour.
- special educational needs itinerant teacherESCO 2352.1.4Overlapping, not the same
Special educational needs itinerant teachers instruct disabled or sick children in their homes. They are specialised teachers employed by (public) schools to teach those unable to physically attend school, but also to assist the student, the parents and the school in their communication. They also fulfil the function of a social school worker by helping the students and parents with a student's potential behavioural issues and enforce, if necessary, school attendance regulations. In case of a possible physical (re)admission to school, visiting teachers advise the school regarding suitable classroom guidance strategies and advisable teaching methods to support the student and make the transition as agreeable as possible.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| K2107 | Professeur / Professeure de collège et de lycée | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| K2127 | Professeur / Professeure d'enseignement général pour déficients sensoriels | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 2311 | Profesores de educación especial | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 84134 | Lehrkräfte an Förderschulen - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 196 | 特別支援学校教員 | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| 194 | 高等学校教員 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources