Other Concerns

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I am looking into becoming an Early Interventionist. I am getting my bachelor's degree in Psychology but not sure on what to do for graduate school. What are the best options?

Today many colleges and universities offer Master of Education (M.Ed.) degrees in early intervention or early childhood special education with certification in either early childhood or k-12 special ed. There are also special certificate programs in Autistic Spectrum Disorders available at some schools. I would suggest doing a Google search for schools in your area that offer graduate programs in early intervention or early childhood special education.

An M.Ed. degree would allow you to work as a developmental specialist
in the early intervention field, whether it be in home services or
teaching in a preschool program (most preschool require a degree and a
teaching certificate). My own bachelor's degree is in Child Psychology
and my M.Ed. is specialized in 0-5 Early Intervention from the
University of Pittsburgh. You can also work in this field as a pediatric
speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist or teacher
of the visually impaired or teacher of the hearing impaired. These
programs may require a few more years of graduate work, but often the
more specialized your degree the easier time you will have finding a job
in the field. Pediatric PTs, OT's and speech therapists are very sought
after by many companies, often more so than developmental specialists
and in most cases PT, OT and SLP positions command a higher salary as
well. 

Back to:  Therapist Questions & Answers - Other Concerns

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