What is special education?

Reviewed by the London College of Teachers Academic Team · Last reviewed 13 October 2026 · Editorial policy

SEN, SEND and special needs: the terms

• Special needs / special educational needs (SEN): a child needs support beyond what is usually provided to learn well.
• SEND: special educational needs and disabilities, the term used in England.
• CWSN: children with special needs, a term used in India.
• People of Determination: the UAE's term for people with disabilities.
• Inclusive education: children with and without disabilities learning together, with support.
• IEP: an Individualised Education Programme setting goals and support for one child.

Types of special educational needs

• Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia
• Autism spectrum condition
• ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
• Speech, language and communication needs
• Intellectual disability
• Emotional, social and behavioural difficulties
• Sensory impairments: visual and hearing impairment, sensory processing differences
• Physical disabilities, including cerebral palsy

Inclusion: the global direction

Most countries now aim for inclusive education, where children with special needs learn in mainstream schools with support. India's Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 and NEP 2020, the UAE's inclusive education frameworks, and laws in the UK and USA all push schools to include and support children with disabilities. That makes special needs skills essential for every teacher, not only specialists.

What a special needs teacher training course covers

London College of Teachers' special needs courses cover:

• Spotting behavioural and academic issues early
• Learning disabilities, autism and ADHD
• Speech and language difficulties and emotional regulation
• Cerebral palsy, sensory issues and visual and hearing impairment (Diploma)
• IEPs, autism and ADHD at postgraduate depth (PG Diploma)
• Classroom management and efficient instruction

What special needs training is not

An online special needs course is professional development. It does not make you a licensed special educator, and it does not qualify you to diagnose or assess children. In India, registered special educators need RCI-recognised qualifications; in the UK and USA, specialist roles need local qualifications or licences. Teachers, shadow teachers and parents still gain a great deal from good training.

Where special education happens

• Inclusive mainstream classrooms: children learn with peers, with adapted teaching and support.
• Resource rooms: short, focused sessions with a specialist teacher.
• Shadow teacher support: one-to-one support inside the mainstream class.
• Special schools: for children whose needs are best met in a specialist setting.
• Home-based and early intervention programmes: especially for young children.

Five principles of good special education

• See the child first: strengths and interests, not only needs.
• Plan individually: clear goals and regular review.
• Adapt, don't lower expectations: change how, not whether, a child learns.
• Work as a team: parents, teachers, therapists and the child.
• Build independence: support should fade as skills grow.

Special education glossary

• Accommodation: a change in how a child learns or is assessed, such as extra time.
• Modification: a change in what a child is expected to learn.
• Differentiation: adapting teaching for different learners.
• Early intervention: support for young children as soon as needs are noticed.
• SENCo: special educational needs coordinator.
• Shadow teacher: one-to-one support in a mainstream class.
• Resource room: a space for focused specialist support.

Myths about special needs

• 'Children with special needs can't learn in mainstream schools.' Many do very well with support.
• 'Special needs means low intelligence.' Many needs, such as dyslexia or ADHD, are unrelated to intelligence.
• 'Only specialists need SEN training.' Every teacher teaches children with special needs.

The special education process in a school

• A teacher or parent notices a concern
• The teacher observes and tries simple adjustments
• Parents and the school meet; referral for assessment if needed
• An IEP or support plan is agreed
• Support is put in place and progress reviewed regularly

A worked example: from concern to support

Seven-year-old Kabir is bright in conversation but cannot read simple words, avoids writing and has started to misbehave during literacy lessons. His class teacher notices the gap between his spoken ability and his written work and starts a short observation log: what he can do, where he gets stuck and what helps.

She tries simple adjustments for four weeks: multisensory phonics in a small group, extra time, and letting him answer orally. Progress is slow, so she meets his parents, who agree to an assessment by a qualified professional. The assessment identifies a specific learning disability in reading. The school then writes an individual plan with clear reading goals, continues structured phonics daily, and provides audio books and oral assessment. Within a term his behaviour in literacy lessons improves, because the work now matches what he can do with support.

What every teacher can do tomorrow

• Give instructions in short steps and show them visually
• Seat children who are easily distracted near you and away from doors
• Check understanding by asking children to show, not just say
• Offer more than one way to answer: speaking, drawing, building, writing
• Build predictable routines and warn children about changes
• Praise effort, not just results
• Keep a simple log of concerns before talking to parents

How special needs are identified

Identification usually starts with someone noticing: a parent, a teacher, a doctor or the child. Teachers record specific observations over several weeks, try simple adjustments, and share what they see with parents. If concerns continue, the child is referred to qualified professionals, such as paediatricians, psychologists, speech and language therapists or occupational therapists, for assessment. Teachers do not diagnose, but their observations are often what makes an accurate assessment possible.

Early identification matters because support works best when it starts early. A child whose reading difficulty is spotted in Class 1 can receive structured help before they fall far behind or lose confidence.