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Special Education Teachers

Certification, Licensing, and Special Requirements

Certification or Licensing

The American Academy of Special Education Professionals and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards offer certification to special education teachers. Contact these organizations for more information on certification requirements. 

All states require that special education teachers be licensed, although the particulars of licensing vary by state. In some states, these teachers must first be certified as elementary or secondary school teachers and then meet specific requirements to teach special education. Some states offer general special education licensure; others license several different subspecialties within special education. Some states allow special education teachers to transfer their license from one state to another, but many still require these teachers to pass licensing requirements for that state.