AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 25-2057.00

Will AI replace Special Education Teachers, Middle School?

Special Education Teachers, Middle School: AI can already handle 7 of 40 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 40 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Special Education Teachers, Middle School, from most to least exposed. 7 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Organize and label materials and display students' work. 90 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. 65 Estimated Standard 4.1
Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and needs. 65 Estimated Standard 3.9
Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress. 65 Estimated Standard 3.9
Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers. 65 Estimated Standard 3.7
Visit schools to tutor students with sensory impairments and to consult with teachers regarding students' special needs. 60 Estimated Standard 3.3
Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.5
Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.5
Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.3
Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.3
Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy. 50 Estimated Standard 4.3
Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.2
Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.1
Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula. 50 Estimated Standard 4.0
Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.7
Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.4
Provide additional instruction in vocational areas. 40 Observed Efficient 3.7
Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Collaborate with other teachers that provide instruction to special education students to ensure that the students receive appropriate support. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements. 35 Estimated Standard 4.2
Meet with parents and guardians to provide guidance in using community resources and to teach skills for dealing with students' impairments. 35 Estimated Standard 3.8
Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. 35 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.4
Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.4
Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Guide and counsel students with adjustments, academic problems, or special academic interests. 30 Estimated Standard 4.3
Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students. 30 Estimated Standard 4.3
Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs. 30 Estimated Standard 4.1
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools. 30 Estimated Standard 4.0
Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors. 30 Estimated Standard 3.9
Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required. 30 Estimated Standard 3.5
Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies. 30 Estimated Standard 2.9
Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students. 20 Estimated Standard 4.5

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 40 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 39 of 40. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
95,200
Median annual wage
$66,810
Middle half of earners
$60,000 to $82,800
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-1.9%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Special Education Teachers, Middle School and AI

Will AI replace Special Education Teachers, Middle School?

AI already handles 7 of the 40 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 43 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -1.9% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Special Education Teachers, Middle School?

43 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 40 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 39 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Special Education Teachers, Middle School tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Organize and label materials and display students' work; Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations; Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. They are three of the 7 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Special Education Teachers, Middle School, and what do they earn?

95,200 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $66,810 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -1.9% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Special Education Teachers, Middle School. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/special-education-teachers-middle-school

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