Special Education Teacher

Buffalo Hearing And Speech Center - Buffalo, NY

Full-time - Entry Level

Buffalo, NY

Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation

About the position

Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center is seeking an enthusiastic Special Education Teacher for our Lockport location, specifically for a self-contained preschool classroom catering to children with autism and other developmental delays. The ideal candidate will be responsible for designing and implementing group lessons that focus on speech, language, and readiness skills, aimed at fostering development in these critical areas for preschoolers who are severely speech-language impaired. This role requires collaboration with a multidisciplinary team to develop and implement individualized goals for each child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The preschool special education teacher will evaluate each child upon their entrance into the program using both formal and informal measures, providing updates on their progress quarterly. This includes compiling comprehensive reports that highlight each child's strengths and areas of need, determining prognosis, and creating appropriate treatment plans. The teacher will also be responsible for implementing a site-specific curriculum and planning the classroom environment to promote learning, independence, and the generalization of skills. In addition to teaching, the role involves facilitating weekly team meetings and classroom planning sessions, acting as a team leader, and participating in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) meetings as schedule allows. The teacher will assist and collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to ensure the effective design and implementation of program goals, while also modeling appropriate speech and language for the children. Maintaining communication with parents or guardians regarding their child's progress is also a key responsibility, along with ensuring the safety and supervision of the children in the classroom.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate each child in skill development areas using formal and informal measures upon entrance into the program and provide quarterly updates.
• Compile comprehensive reports regarding children's strengths and areas of need.
• Determine prognosis and appropriate treatment plans for each child.
• Implement site-specific curriculum and plan classroom environment to encourage learning and independence.
• Design and implement goals and objectives for age-appropriate skills as indicated on each child's IEP.
• Facilitate improved cognitive, social emotional, behavioral, fine and gross motor skills through appropriate therapeutic programs.
• Meet with classroom aides to share educational strategies and techniques.
• Facilitate weekly team meetings and classroom planning meetings as team leader.
• Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team for program design and implementation, ensuring carryover of individual therapy goals to the classroom.
• Model appropriate speech and language for children and make referrals as needed.
• Maintain contact with parents or guardians regarding their child's progress.
• Ensure children's supervision and safety in the classroom.
• Attend CPSE and CSE meetings when necessary.
• Submit high-quality written reports in a timely manner in accordance with compliance standards.
• Maintain patient records according to compliance standards.

Requirements

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree in special education from an accredited university or college.
• New York State Certification as a permanent Special Education Teacher or Teacher of Students with Disabilities (Birth-2 or All Ages) OR willingness to obtain certification.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing effectively.
• Ability to learn on the job and adapt quickly to changing situations.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with Floortime/DIR Philosophy and Pyramid model.
• Familiarity with Trauma-Informed Care approach.

Benefits

• Tuition assistance may be available for obtaining necessary certifications.