Special education teachers have a higher rate of burnout than is found in most other professions. The burnout rate is the result of a number of issues that often culminate in these teachers leaving their jobs. It is estimated that 75 percent of those who teach special needs students will leave their job within 10 years of starting. The result of this turnover rate is a shortage of quality special education teachers and a lack of quality programs for the students they serve. While a special education teacher may start their career with the intention of helping the students with special abilities become productive members of society, they face several challenges that make the task extremely difficult. In the following lines we will have a look at these challenges which the learners of ADHD courses for teachers may have to face and learn to evade as they look forward to a successful career in the sphere of special education.

The challenges of the special education teacher include:

1. Difficult job

Teaching the students of special education is a uniquely difficult job, one that comes with a set of huge responsibilities; however, many people fail to recognize the teacher’s role. The various limitations of the students with whom special education teachers work multiplies the job’s difficulty. This is why it is important for the learners of the ADHD courses for teachers to gain a profound knowledge about this area of problem and find out feasible solutions before they start their career.

2. Responsibilities

Many teachers are trained and willing to teach but find themselves burdened with responsibilities that eradicate their focus from the classroom. Special education teachers often find themselves being required to go to meetings, conducting assessments and dealing with loads of paperwork. These are some of the responsibilities that actually hinder the development of the future special education teachers.

3. Lack of support

Perpetual lack of support leads to special education teachers being asked to do more with less. Salaries are being cut on a number of occasions and there is often very little in the way of technical assistance provided by school administrations. The future special needs educator needs to emphasize on the fact that he/she doesn’t have to go through this horrible situation while starting to teach.

4. Multiple students

A special education teacher’s classes may have students with various special abilities. Since each student is a unique case, the teacher must modify their lessons to suit each disabled learner by providing individualized education programs. This is very important for the learners of the ADHD courses for teachers to remember this particular area of problem which can hinder the development curriculum of the students under their tutelage.

5. Handling an inclusive classroom

The concept of having classrooms that contain both special needs students and students who are developing typically is becoming a popular one. This type of education poses new challenges for a special education teacher. A special needs educator has to be well equipped to face the challenges of an inclusive classroom and handle the students under his/her tutelage properly, irrespective of the fact that whether they are specially-abled or not.

6. Professional Isolation

There may be a professional stigma attached to the work of teaching “slow” students. Special education teachers often work with smaller groups and may focus on skills rather than content, thereby leading to the perception that their work is easier or less important. This might be a huge drawback in terms of a future special needs educator taking up the job of educating the students with special ability.

7. Lack of support from the parents

This is a very important point that the learners of the ADHD courses for teachers need to remember. Some parents of special needs children are disinterested in the welfare of their children and fail to provide them with adequate care. Alternatively, they may be overly protective. Both can be problematic for the child and for their teacher. Disinterested parents may have no involvement with their child’s education or interaction with their teachers, whereas overprotective parents may have unrealistic expectations from the child and the child’s teachers. Both attitudes can shape children in negative ways. Parental disinterest may make special needs students less motivated and parents who are overprotective often diminish their child’s confidence and make it harder for them to learn.

8. Lack of Discipline

Disabled children may have behavioral issues including restlessness and moodiness. They may also exhibit problems like a short attention span or an inability to understand what is being taught. The future special education teachers have to learn how to deal with these problems as well as how to take appropriate disciplinary measures.

From the aforementioned points, it is clear that the job of a special needs educator is one that requires a lot of caution as well as expertise, which he/she needs to gain while pursuing the ADHD courses for teachers. The understanding and eventual evasion of these challenges not only helps in strengthening the perspective of special needs education for both the existing as well as future educators but also create an atmosphere conducive for the development of the overall teaching-learning procedure.