Special Education Techniques trains students to be behavioural technicians who work with clients to help them in their development, adaptation, and quality of life. Graduates in Special Education Techniques usually work as part of a multidisciplinary team and work directly with clients in their natural environments, including the classroom, workplace, home, community, or retirement residence. Students are trained to evaluate the client’s needs to develop, implement, and evaluate interventions designed to enhance development, adaptation, and quality of life.
Special Education Technicians work with clients with a variety of challenges including behavioural difficulties, mental health problems, substance abuse, physical and neurological impairments, learning difficulties, developmental disabilities, victims of violence, youth with adjustment problems, and the elderly. Clients range from children to older adults.
Graduates in Special Education Techniques work in a variety of settings including elementary and high schools, daycare centres, community centres, group homes for adolescents, child protection agencies, child and adolescent mental health centres, rehabilitation centres, hospitals, group homes for individuals with mental health problems, group homes for individuals with developmental disabilities, shelters, drop-in centres, and drug rehabilitation centres.
Special Education Technicians are part of the helping professions, and as such, enjoy meeting and helping others. They are empathic, kind, good listeners, compassionate, caring, non-judgemental, respectful, accepting of others differences, sensitive, patient, self-aware, and observant. They are good at forming relationships with others and are good communicators.
You need a high school diploma. Other than that, there are no specific admission requirements.
Yes, individuals can be employed in other provinces. In fact, some of our field placements are in Ontario.
Placements are determined in collaboration with the field placement coordinator. Effort is made to match students in placements that they are interested in and are well-suited for.
Yes. While the Special Education Techniques Program is a career program that prepares you to enter the labour force, some graduates in Special Education Techniques will continue on to further their studies at a university. Examples of university programs include criminology, psychology, sociology, education, and social work. Some universities offer graduates in Special Education Techniques advanced standing in specific university programs. Be sure to consult with your Academic Advisor to inquire about prerequisites of the program you wish to apply for.