B.Ed. in Special Education is a 2-year full time graduate course divided into 4 semesters.

Special Education is the branch of education which uses instructional material, special instructional methodology, learning-teaching aids, and such equipment to meet the educational needs of children with specific learning disabilities. The remedial instruction or remediation aims at improving a given skill or ability in a student.

The techniques used in such a mode of education include providing the student with more practice or more explanation than usual, some repetitions of information and instruction, and more time to work on the skill. These methods vary from student to student. A student with difficulty in reading can be provided with remediation by:

• One-on-one reading sessions
• Phonic instruction
• Practicing reading aloud.

Successful completion of graduation in a relevant discipline is the minimum criterion of eligibility for admission to the course.

Admission to the course is based on the round of counselling conducted after the candidate’s qualification of a relevant entrance test, such as that conducted by the University of Delhi.

Some of the top entrance tests conducted in India for admission to the course are:

• GGSIPU
• AIEED
• TOEFL

The course is offered at leading Indian institutes such as:

• Indian institute of health education and research Science, Patna
• Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra
• Sanskriti University, Mathura
• Amity University, Noida
• Andhra University, Vishakhapatnam.

The average tuition fee charged for the course in India ranges between INR 5000 and 2 Lacs for a span of 3 years.

Successful graduates of the course can expect anything between INR 2 to 20 lacs as annual salary in the industry, increasing with experience and skillset.

B.Ed. in Special Education: Course Highlights

Tabulated below are some of the major highlights of the course:

B.Ed. in Special Education: What is it all About?

An Inclusive Model of education would imply provision of education for individuals with special needs. Within such an educational system, children study side by side with their mainstream peers, towards developing their full potential. The program is aimed at normalizing special services for which such students qualify.

The course’s curriculum has been designed to empower special educators to teach students with disabilities in inclusive and special school settings. This includes:

• Knowledge of specific disability areas, cross disability areas, and other disability areas.
• Training in different pedagogies of teaching.
• Emphasis on developing skills and knowledge and understanding how the curriculum can be transacted across disabilities

Special Education Teachers use various techniques to promote learning. Some such techniques depend on the disability, and various teaching methods can include individualized instruction and small group work. Such students need special arrangements in order to take a test, and special education teachers ensure that appropriate ones are provided, with the questions read orally, or lengthening the time allowed to take the test.

Special education teachers help to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each special education student. An IEP sets personalized goals for each student and is tailored to the student’s individual needs and ability. Many teachers work closely with parents to inform them of their child’s progress and suggest techniques to promote learning at home.

Special Education Teachers mostly tend to work with students at the elementary, middle, and secondary schooling level, but some of the teachers do work with pre-schoolers as well.

Such teachers are trained to work with specific groups. The course is highly important to identify which group the student can be categorized under, as this course involves the tailoring of education according to the student’s needs. Early intervention is essential in educating children with disabilities.

Special Education Teachers are involved in:

• Students’ social, behavioural, and academic development.
• Helping students develop emotionally, feel comfortable in social situations, and develop awareness of socially acceptable behaviour.
• Communicating and working together with parents, school psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, social workers, speech therapists, some school administrators, and other teachers.

Such an inclusive education involves an attempt to provide more of these special services by means of:

• Providing additional aids and support inside the regular classroom, apart from individualized instruction.
• Extension of general education curriculum and goals, for students needing special services.
• Shared problem solving, responsibility, and mutual support among all the staff members who provide services to students.

Top Institutes offering B.Ed. in Special Education

Some of the top colleges offering the course in the country with the corresponding locations and fees charged by the respective colleges are listed below:

Eligibility for B.Ed. in Special Education

Listed below are the minimum criteria which candidates interested in pursuing the course are required to fulfil, in order to be eligible to apply for the course:

• Successful completion of graduation (B.A./ B.Sc./ B.Com.), from a recognized university.
• A minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for SC/ST candidates) at the level of graduation.

B.Ed. in Special Education: Admission Process

Most institutes offering the course admit students based on performance in a relevant entrance test, often followed by a round of personal interview, wherein their general aptitude for the course is tested. Admission process generally varies across colleges.

A few institutes also provide direct admission based on the candidate’s performance at the level of graduation.

Listed below are some of the top entrance exams conducted in the country for admission to the course:

• LPUP-NEST
• ACAD Entrance Test
• GGSIPU
• AIEED
• TOEFL.

B.Ed. in Special Education: Syllabus and Course Description

A semester- wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is given below:

B.Ed. in Special Education: Career Prospects

A career in special education requires individuals to possess patience for students with disabilities, considerable capacity for understanding such students, and passion to nurture and help such pupils.

Special Education Teachers work for students with hearing, emotional or behavioural difficulties, vision, physical and/or intellectual disabilities, or some special needs in learning or communication. Such students are taught basic literacy, and independent living and communication skills.

The work of a Special Education Teacher can be emotionally demanding and physically draining, with the job often causing children with mental or emotional disabilities resulting in frustration for the teacher.

The course prepares professionals with:

• A solid understanding of human psychology and emotions.
• Ability to teach and interact with children and youth who have a variety of disabilities. 

The various types of disabilities that require services of special education trained personnel includes:

• Speech or language impairments, mental retardation.
• Specific learning disabilities, orthopaedic impairments, autism.
• Traumatic brain injury, combined deafness and blindness, and other health impairments.

Such special-needs students are unable to learn in a traditional classroom environment, and special education classes can provide an alternative or better learning experience for such students.

Some of the top professional positions open to such professionals are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions: