Definition

Noun: 1. Specialized instruction: A form of education designed for students with physical, mental, emotional, or learning disabilities, providing tailored instruction and services to meet their unique needs. 2. Individualized program: Educational services that are specifically designed, at no cost to parents, to meet the distinct requirements of a child with a disability, often involving an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The school district has an excellent program for special education.
  • She is a teacher who is passionate about special education and inclusive practices.
  • The law guarantees access to free and appropriate special education for eligible children.

Advanced Usage

• "to receive special education services": to be provided with the specialized instructional support one is entitled to.
  • The child began to receive special education services after his evaluation.
• "special education needs (SEN)": a term commonly used to describe the requirements of children who need extra or different help in school (more common in British English contexts).
  • The school is well-equipped to support students with special education needs.

Variants and Related Words

• Special educator (n): A teacher trained to work with students who have disabilities.
  • The special educator collaborated with the classroom teacher.
• Special needs (n): A term for the particular requirements of people with disabilities.
  • The camp is designed for children with special needs.

Synonyms

• Specialized instruction: Education adapted for specific learning challenges.
• Remedial education: Education aimed at bringing students up to an expected standard, often overlapping with special education for some learning disabilities.

Related Phrases

• Inclusion classroom: A general education classroom that includes students receiving special education services.
  • He thrives in an inclusion classroom with support from a paraprofessional.
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) (n): A written plan developed for a public school child who needs special education.
  • The team met to draft the student's annual Individualized Education Program.

Related Idioms

(Note: The term "special education" itself is not typically used in idiomatic expressions. The related concepts are more formal and technical.)

Noun

1. education of physically or mentally handicapped children whose needs cannot be met in an ordinary classroom