Department: Gateway School
Reports to: Education Director
Supervises: 1:1/ Instructional Assistants, Para-Educators
Type of Job: Full-Time, Exempt
Organizational Summary
Gateway Maryland, Inc. is a well-established, private, non-profit organization located in Baltimore, Maryland that offers a multitude of services to individuals of all ages with communication disorders and disabilities. Our mission is to help connect people to their worlds through our Language Access, Inclusion, Education, Hearing Health, and Speech-Language Pathology programming.
Gateway is a leader in communication services in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. We offer a wide array of services for those with communication differences and/or disorders and operate a school for children with communication disorders. We are well recognized within the non-profit sector for our work in this community by the media, opinion leaders, and the general public, and we have established ourselves as one of the most prestigious resource centers in our field.
Position Summary
The Early Childhood Autism Special Education Teacher serves as the case manager and instructional leader for a self-contained early childhood classroom serving young learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder and related developmental disabilities. The teacher creates a structured, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate learning environment that supports communication, social-emotional growth, independence, and foundational academic readiness.
This role includes designing and implementing individualized instruction using evidence-based practices, developing and monitoring IEPs, supervising classroom staff, collecting and analyzing student data, collaborating with related service providers, and maintaining strong partnerships with families.
The teacher is responsible for ensuring all services and programming are delivered in alignment with each student’s IEP and in compliance with all applicable COMAR and MSDE regulations.
Competencies/Key Success Factors
To perform the job successfully, an individual will retain accountability for the following key success factors:
#1 Planning and Preparation
· Develops developmentally appropriate, play-based, and structured learning experiences
· Designs individualized instruction using evidence-based autism practices (ABA principles, visual supports, structured teaching, task analysis, prompting hierarchies).
· Differentiates curriculum to address varied developmental levels, communication styles, and sensory needs.
· Aligns daily lesson objectives with IEP goals and functional skill development.
· Integrates communication, social-emotional, adaptive, and pre-academic skills throughout the school day.
· Prepares and utilizes visuals, schedules, manipulatives, sensory tools, and hands-on materials.
#2 Classroom Environment
· Establishes a safe, predictable, and nurturing classroom that supports regulation and learning.
· Implements consistent routines, visual schedules, and structured transitions to increase independence.
· Creates an engaging environment that promotes exploration, play, and active participation.
· Organizes the classroom to include clearly defined learning areas and sensory supports as appropriate.
· Leads and mentors paraprofessionals and 1:1 aides to maintain consistent expectations and strategies.
· Implements proactive positive behavior supports and individualized behavior intervention plans.
#3 Instruction
· Provides direct, explicit instruction in early literacy, numeracy, communication, social skills, adaptive skills, and independence.
· Uses ABA-informed strategies, modeling, prompting, reinforcement, and systematic instruction.
· Embeds instruction across natural routines, play, and daily living activities.
· Supports augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), visual communication systems, and language development.
· Collaborates with speech, occupational, physical, and behavior specialists to integrate therapy goals into daily instruction.
· Supervises and coaches classroom staff to ensure fidelity of implementation.
· Monitors progress through ongoing assessment and data collection.
· Demonstrates flexibility and responsiveness to students’ developmental and behavioral needs.
#4 IEP and Compliance Responsibilities
· Serves as case manager for assigned students.
· Develops, writes, and implements compliant, individualized IEPs.
· Conducts assessments and uses data to inform goals and instructional decisions.
· Collects and analyzes data regularly on IEP goals and behavioral programming.
· Maintains accurate documentation and student records.
· Facilitates IEP meetings and collaborates effectively with families and team members.
· Completes reports and documentation within required timelines and ensures compliance with COMAR and MSDE regulations.
#5 Professional Responsibilities
· Maintains consistent, positive communication with families regarding student progress and strategies for home support.
· Follows Gateway School policies and procedures.
· Participates in professional development, team meetings, and ongoing training in autism and early childhood best practices.
· Provides leadership, coaching, and constructive feedback to classroom staff.
· Collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to design comprehensive student programming.
· Demonstrates professionalism, patience, and a child-centered approach.
· Maintains teacher licensure and continuing professional development requirements.
· Performs other duties as assigned.
Education and/or Experience
● This position requires a Bachelor's degree or Master’s degree in Special Education, Early Childhood Education, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
● A minimum of at least two years of teaching experience is highly preferred.
● Experience working with young children (ages 3-8) with autism and developmental disabilities preferred.
● Experience in developing and implementing the IEP using assessment data is also preferred.
● Experience with and/or training in Applied Behavior Analysis is highly desired.
● Experience supervising paraprofessionals or classroom assistants preferred.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations
● The individual must hold a valid teaching license in Special Education or be eligible for certification by the Maryland State Department of Education.
Preferred Qualifications
● Experience working with children with disabilities, preferably with autism, developmental disabilities, and communication related disorders.
● Experience with and/or training in Applied Behavior Analysis is highly desired.
● Strong interpersonal skills.
● Ability to lift, push, pull 50 lbs.; sit, stand, or bend for long periods of time.
Why work for Gateway School?
● Small caseload (6 students)
● 10 weeks off built into school calendar + paid time off
● $1000 reimbursement annually for CEUs
● 37.5 hour work week
● Health and dental benefit options
● 403b with matching opportunities
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
All Gateway employees are expected to demonstrate an awareness of, respect for, and attention to the diversity of the people with whom they interact (person served, personnel, families/caregivers, and other stakeholders) that are reflected in attitudes, organizational structure, policies, and services.
This job description is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as an all-inclusive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with the position. While it is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, Gateway reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties, and to assign other duties as necessary.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Pay: $70,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- How many years of Special Education experience do you have? (Minimum requirements: 2 years)
- Do you have experience supervising 1:1 classroom aides during daily and/or 1:1 instruction? (Required)
- Do you have experience teaching early elementary aged children with autism and/or development disabilities and implementing behavior intervention plans in a self-contained classroom setting? (Required)
License/Certification:
- MSDE teaching license (Required)
Work Location: In person
