Jobs / Education and social services / 25-9043.00

Teaching Assistants, Special 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.

US jobs
Not reported by BLS
Job family
Education and social services

Can agents do the work of teaching assistants, special education?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Education and social services: Unmeasured (no change in 12 months)

No direct benchmark gives a success rate.

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 16%Monitor individual behavior or performanceNot measured
  • 9%Set up classrooms, facilities, educational materials, or equipmentNot measured
  • 9%Assist individuals with special needsNot measured
  • 9%Teach life skillsNot measured
  • 9%Teach academic or vocational subjectsNot measured
  • 7%Develop educational programs, plans, or proceduresNot measured
  • 7%Prepare informational or instructional materialsNot measured
  • 5%Maintain operational recordsNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in education and social services, not always this occupation's tasks.

Context only

These benchmarks span many occupations, or they test how agents behave. They give context but do not set the step.

  • GDPvalby OpenAIProject level · Wins plus ties against experts
    84.9%GPT-5.5 · Apr 2026
    Strong
  • TutorMoments-Previewby Ai2Task level · Mean of appropriate scaffolding and appropriate rigor (evaluation-aware prompt)
    0.93GPT-6 Astra · 5 Oct 2026
    Saturated

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Provide assistance to students with special needs.
  • Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
  • Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
  • Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
  • Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
  • Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
  • Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
  • Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
  • Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
  • Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
  • Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
  • Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
Other job titles for this occupation (27)

Assistant Instructor · Co-Teacher · Educational Assistant · Paraeducator · Paraprofessional (Para) · SPED Aide (Special Education Aide) · SPED Para (Special Education Paraprofessional) · SPED TA (Special Education Teacher Assistant) · TA (Teacher's Assistant) · Teacher's Aide · Basic Skills Improvement Program Instructional Aide (BSIP Instructional Aide) · Classroom Paraprofessional · Early Childhood SPED PARA (Early Childhood Special Education Paraprofessional) · Education Support Professional · Special Needs Para (Special Needs Paraprofessional) · Special Programs Instructional Assistant · Specialized Programs TA (Specialized Programs Teacher Assistant) · SPED Assistant (Special Education Assistant) · SPED Assistant (Special Educational Assistant) · SPED Associate (Special Education Associate) · SPED Classroom Aide (Special Education Classroom Aide) · SPED Instructional Aide (Special Education Instructional Aide) · SPED Instructional Assistant (Special Education Instructional Assistant) · SPED Paraeducator (Special Education Paraeducator) · SPED TA (Special Education Teaching Assistant) · SPED Teacher Aide (Special Education Teacher Aide) · TA (Teaching Assistant)