Career Intent Factors of Special Education Teachers Serving Students With Intellectual Disability, Developmental Delay, and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Limited research exists on special education teachers (SETs) of students with intellectual disability (ID), developmental delay (DD), and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their intent to leave or stay in the teaching profession, and the working conditions impacting those decisions. Through an online survey, we investigated working conditions of SETs who teach students with ID, DD, and ASD and their career intent, with attention to teacher demographic characteristics. Our investigation (n = 564) found Black/African American, Asian, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander SETs of students with ID, DD, or ASD reported higher intent to leave, as well as male SETs, compared to White SETs. Other differences are reported between groups. Results emphasize a need to focus on ways to retain SETs from underrepresented groups. Implications for practice and research related to working conditions are discussed.