How This Role Contributes to the Y’s Mission
As a Special Education Consultant, you will help ensure children with developmental delays, disabilities, or individualized learning needs are welcomed, included, and supported within Head Start and Early Head Start.
Through classroom observations, consultation, assessment support, referrals, training, and collaboration, you will help families and classroom teams understand each child’s strengths and provide the individualized support they need to participate, learn, belong, and thrive.
This Work Is Right for You If You Have:
- Experience supporting young children who receive special education, early intervention, or individualized developmental services.
- Working knowledge of IEPs, IFSPs, accommodations, and inclusive educational practices.
- Experience observing children and turning your findings into practical classroom strategies.
- The ability to build trusting, respectful relationships with families and engage them as active partners.
- Experience collaborating with teachers, specialists, local education agencies, and community providers.
- Strong consultation, training, communication, documentation, and problem-solving skills.
- The ability to manage multiple cases, service timelines, priorities, and follow-up activities.
- A commitment to creating learning environments where every child feels included, capable, and supported.
Essential Functions
- Conduct classroom observations and review screenings, evaluations, progress reports, IEPs, IFSPs, and other relevant records.
- Identify children’s strengths and needs and recommend strategies that support development, learning, participation, independence, and belonging.
- Observe children with suspected developmental, learning, behavioral, communication, or functional concerns after required authorization is obtained.
- Complete educational assessments when assigned and appropriately authorized, including preparing and submitting required reports.
- Collaborate with families and associates to coordinate referrals for special education, early intervention, therapy, behavioral services, and other supports.
- Assist families with accessing appropriate evaluations, services, resources, and follow-up support.
- Partner with classroom teams to understand and implement IEP and IFSP goals, accommodations, and individualized strategies.
- Help teachers incorporate individualized supports into lesson plans, classroom routines, transitions, and daily learning experiences.
- Recommend instructional strategies, environmental modifications, adaptive materials, specialized equipment, and other supports.
- Provide consultation, coaching, training, and technical assistance to associates and families.
- Promote children’s participation in inclusive settings and the least restrictive environment appropriate to their needs.
- Support successful transitions into Head Start, Early Head Start, kindergarten, special education, early intervention, and other educational settings.
- Participate in IEP and IFSP meetings, case reviews, developmental-team meetings, and transition-planning meetings.
- Maintain collaborative relationships with local education agencies, Part C providers, specialists, and community organizations.
- Track referrals, evaluations, services, and required timelines and promptly communicate barriers or concerns.
- Enter accurate and timely case notes and service information into COPA or other approved systems.
- Maintain complete, organized, and confidential child and family records.
- Support program monitoring, self-assessment, planning, and continuous quality-improvement activities.
- Follow Head Start requirements, Y policies, child-safeguarding practices, and mandated-reporting procedures.
- Perform other job-related duties consistent with the purpose and scope of the position.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in special education, early childhood education, elementary education, child development, or a related field.
- At least two years of relevant experience supporting young children with disabilities, developmental delays, or individualized learning needs.
- Experience participating in special education or early intervention referrals, evaluations, service planning, or service delivery.
- Working knowledge of IEPs, IFSPs, inclusive practices, accommodations, and individualized supports.
- Experience reviewing educational or developmental information and developing practical recommendations for families and classroom teams.
- Strong communication, organization, collaboration, training, documentation, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, cases, and follow-up requirements.
- Proficiency with standard workplace technology and the ability to learn program data systems; experience with COPA or a similar Head Start system is preferred.
- Ability to travel regularly among assigned program sites, schools, and partner locations.
- Ability to obtain and maintain all required background clearances, training, credentials, and certifications.
Physical and Work Requirements
- Ability to work in classrooms, offices, and community settings and travel regularly among program locations.
- Ability to interact with children and adults in active early-learning environments.
- Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, use stairs, and move throughout classrooms and program sites, with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Ability to lift, carry, position, or move classroom materials and equipment as required by the position.
Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion and continued maintenance of all screenings, clearances, training, credentials, and certifications required by law, regulation, licensing requirements, funding sources, or Y policy.
