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Special Education Teaching Assistant

Education

Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher to provide academic, social, or life skills to students who have learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Education

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Provide assistance to students with special needs.
  2. 2Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
  3. 3Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
  4. 4Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
  5. 5Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
  6. 6Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
  7. 7Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
  8. 8Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
  9. 9Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
  10. 10Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
  11. 11Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
  12. 12Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
  13. 13Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices.
  14. 14Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, or food preparation.
  15. 15Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
  16. 16Assist in bus loading and unloading.
  17. 17Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
  18. 18Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
  19. 19Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
  20. 20Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories, and assist students with hardware and software use.
  21. 21Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
  22. 22Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review.
  23. 23Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems.
  24. 24Clean classrooms.
  25. 25Assist librarians in school libraries.
  26. 26Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.
  27. 27Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.
  28. 28Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies.
  29. 29Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
  30. 30Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • TA
  • Para
  • SPED TA
  • SPED Aide
  • SPED Para
  • Co-Teacher
  • Paraeducator
  • SPED Assistant
  • SPED Associate
  • Teacher's Aide

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
History (Sejarah)Draws directly on History and Archeology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
GeographyDraws directly on Geography — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • English Language70%

    English

  • Psychology67%
  • Education and Training57%
  • Customer and Personal Service57%
  • Mathematics53%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Public Safety and Security51%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicA little
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherOften
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

13%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Teacher (DG9)

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

IPG (Teacher Training)

Become a school teacher: fully funded, with an allowance and a guaranteed posting. Apply separately through KPM after SPM.

~5 years

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Teaching Assistants, Special Education

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org