Special school

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For the Independent Dutch School system, see Special school (Netherlands).

A special school is a school catering to students who have special educational needs, e.g. because of learning difficulties or physical disabilities.^[1] Special schools are specifically designed, staffed and resourced to provide the appropriate special education for children with special needs.

Special schools provide individualized education, addressing specific needs. Typically ratios are kept low, often 6:1 or lower depending upon the needs of the children. Special schools will also have other facilities for the development of children with special needs, such as soft play areas, sensory rooms, swimming pools, etc. which are vital for the therapy of certain conditions.

In recent times special schools are falling out of favor in most areas as more children are being included in mainstream education. There will always be some children however, whose severe learning difficulties challenge our schools. These children are at risk of being sent to the segregated setting because of the severe discomfort their presence has for educators unable to provide the level of support they need. They will then say that for these students, their severe and complex needs make inclusion in a mainstream setting untenable. For these children a specialized resource setting is the most appropriate educational placement. Unfortunately, these special schools lack the focus on research based practices to be an effective placement.