Special Education Teacher in Chile towards the Twenty-First Century: Paradigm shift in Professional Training

Special Education is undergoing a process of paradigm shift, reflected in national and international policies. The new paradigm of inclusive education challenges professional training to redefine traditional functions of special education teachers, without losing their professional identity. This article presents the results of a survey conducted by a university about the projective vision of the role of these professionals towards the demands of the XXI century. The survey questionnaire was applied to special education teachers graduated from said university, their employers, and teacher trainers. The consultation takes place in the context of the update of the graduate's profile and curriculum of a university career with a long trajectory in that institution. The findings indicate changes in teaching practices, these require a new vision to address the training of teachers which involves moving into the new paradigm that would allow to assume diversity in school context.