Special Education Teachers, Elementary School
Machines can already do 32% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 52%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Special Education Teachers, Elementary School in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 32% of this job's tasks.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2034, and 52% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Contact with people: it scores 83% for contact with people.
- Also called: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher (DHH Teacher), Emotional Disabilities Teacher, Hearing Impaired Itinerant Teacher (HI Itinerant Teacher), Learning Support Teacher.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruct students with disabilities in academic subjects, using a variety of techniques, such as phonetics, multisensory learning, or repetition to reinforce learning and meet students' varying needs | 21% | 32% to 55% | |
| Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, or social development | 7% | 27% to 46% | |
| Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations | 6% | 63% to 81% | |
| Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities | 3% | 32% to 55% | |
| Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement | 3% | 22% to 42% | |
| Modify the general elementary education curriculum for students with disabilities | 3% | 63% to 81% | |
| Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students | 3% | 3% to 25% | |
| Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health | 3% | 74% to 82% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills special education teachers, elementary school use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $62,680
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School42% of tasks by 2035 · US median $65,030
- Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary51% of tasks by 2035 · US median $42,910
- Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary51% of tasks by 2035 · US median $105,870
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Special Education Teachers, Elementary School?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2034. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of special education teachers, elementary school?
Machines can do 32% of the tasks of special education teachers, elementary school today and 52% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 25-2056.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Special Education Teachers, Elementary School: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/special-education-teachers-elementary-school/