Course Preview on Certification for Special Needs Fitness

1. Special Education Certification Career Guide If you’re passionate about helping the special needs population, then there are many career paths you can explore. Our Special Strong certification courses are designed to teach parents and professionals how to help people with special needs, regardless of the field they choose to work in. Below are some of your career options: Personal Trainer As our certification courses are geared toward physical fitness and health literacy, this career path may not come as a surprise to you. The surprising part may be that you can specialize as a special needs personal trainer. You can blend your passion for fitness and your passion for special needs into one career. Typical responsibilities of a special needs personal trainer include: •Working with special needs clients of various ages, one-on-one •Assessing each client’s physical ability •Designing individual fitness programs with modified exercises •Diminishing behavioral issues through fitness If after becoming a personal trainer, you find that you want to expand your level of influence in the special needs community, then you can become a certified group fitness instructor and specialize in working with those with special needs. You can also become a Special Strong affiliate and launch your own special needs personal training business. Speech Therapist While becoming a speech therapist requires you to have a master’s degree, the degree itself doesn’t help you form better relationships with your clientele. Those with speech issues will mostly have special needs, usually autism or hearing impairment. Getting a special needs certification can help you connect more closely with your clients. Typical responsibilities of a speech therapist include: •Diagnosing speech and language disorders •Using therapy techniques to correct speech issues •Communicating with patients and parents •Evaluating progress in each client Occupational Therapist Occupational therapy is another career choice that requires a master’s degree, but again, the clientele is made up mostly of individuals with special needs, particularly physical disabilities. Having a special needs certification can greatly improve your ability to connect with your patients. Typical responsibilities of an occupational therapist include: •Evaluating you client’s ability level •Monitoring your client’s movements •Creating solutions to everyday problems for your client •Enabling your client to perform tasks independently Adapted Physical Education Teacher To be a physical education or PE teacher, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree and a teaching certification. However, if you want to be a PE teacher for individuals with special needs, then a special needs certification could help propel you into your dream job. What’s more, the certification could help you better understand and communicate with your students.

2. Typical responsibilities of an adapted physical education teacher: •Evaluating student capabilities •Developing exercise routines that cater to your students’ abilities •Making fitness fun and attainable Special Education Paraprofessional Being a special education paraprofessional allows you to work with special needs children in a classroom setting. Special education paraprofessionals are under the direct supervision of a certified teacher, which is why many of these positions only require a high school diploma. Typical responsibilities of a paraprofessional include: •Giving one-on-one attention to students •Working with students who have behavioral challenges •Creating order in the classroom •Supporting teachers with lesson planning and learning strategies By gaining experience and additional credentials, paraprofessionals can also become classroom teachers or supervisors. Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Behavior technicians assist behavior analysts, who work with special needs individuals with behavioral challenges using ABA therapy. At a minimum, RBTs must hold a certification to work under the supervision of another professional. Typical responsibilities of an RBT include: •Providing one-on-one or group therapy to help individuals develop certain skills or reduce undesired behaviors •Working under the supervision of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst—a BCBA, BCaBA, or BCBA-D—to execute customized behavior plans Once you become an RBT, there are many other career paths that you can take that require additional schooling and credentials. Many RBT’s become board-certified behavior analysts and start their own practice or work for a therapy center. Applied Behavior Analyst A master’s degree can put you on the right path to become an applied behavior analyst; however, a special needs certification can connect you with your clients on a deeper level. Typical responsibilities of an applied behavior analyst include: •Assessing your client’s behavioral challenges and deciphering the root cause •Enacting behavioral intervention therapy •Evaluating each client’s progress •Supervising staff, such as register behavior technicians Parent/Caregiver You may not want to explore career opportunities in the special needs community. Maybe you’re just wanting to understand your child better so you can be a better parent or caretaker. Our certification program can also help you achieve this goal. In our coursebook and tutorial videos, we discuss the physical impacts of an emotional meltdown and show you how to navigate these difficult feelings with your child. Have questions? We’re here to help. Call or text (707) 927-1466