Students With Disabilities

Read about the needs and experiences of students with disabilities in schools

Special Report

Silhouettes of diverse students, each growing a different type of plant. Neurodiversity represented by biodiversity.
Understanding Learning Differences
This special report explores neurodiversity and some key issues shaping the experiences of students with learning and thinking differences.
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Lois Curtis, left, addresses a group at the state Capitol in Hartford, Conn., to observe the 10th anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that qualified patients have the right to receive community-based care rather than to be institutionalized. Curtis was one of the to plaintiffs in the suit, Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W.
Lois Curtis, left, addresses a group at the Connecticut state Capitol in 2009 to mark the 10th anniversary of <i>Olmstead</i> v. <i>L.C.</i>, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling stemming from a lawsuit in which she was a lead plaintiff that established qualified patients' right to community-based care over institutionalization. In June, the U.S. Department of Justice stated it “will not rely upon the <i>Olmstead</i> Guidance in its enforcement” of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a move that advocates fear could upend transition planning for K-12 students who have disabilities.
Bob Child/AP
Special Education New Federal Guidance Could Roll Back Special Ed. Transition Services
New DOJ guidance threatens high school transition programs meant to help disabled students live independently.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, September 1, 2026
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3 min read
A classroom image with aspects of the struggles of disability rights woven through it.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Special Education Opinion Disability Studies Is a Rich Discipline That Builds Empathy. How to Teach It
A more inclusive world starts with teaching all students the long history of disability rights.
Brittany R. Collins, August 28, 2026
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5 min read
Jessica DiMaggio, an education for students with disabilities paraprofessional, watches a Structured Academics and Interpersonal Learning or SAIL student put the tips of his index fingers together at Watkins Elementary on Nov. 4, 2025 , in Wylie, Texas.
Jessica DiMaggio, an education for students with disabilities paraprofessional, watches a Structured Academics and Interpersonal Learning or SAIL student put the tips of his index fingers together at Watkins Elementary on Nov. 4, 2025 , in Wylie, Texas. Most teachers don't feel confident in their ability to adapt instruction to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities, according to a new survey by the National Center for Learning Disabilities and West Ed.
Angela Piazza/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
Special Education How Teachers Feel About Adapting Instruction for Students With Disabilities
Both general and special education teachers need more time and support to build confidence in differentiating instruction.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, August 27, 2026
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3 min read
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Lylah Bobowski, 3, plays in the outdoor playground of the Head Start Center in Athens, Pa., on August 13, 2026.
Md. Zobayer Hossain Joati for Education Week
Early Childhood What This Rural Head Start Program Stands to Lose With Federal Changes
The federal government just announced plans to de-regulate Head Start. Here's what this might mean.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 14, 2026
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10 min read
Third-grade students learn about identifying story elements as part of an elementary school's Dual Language Program in August 2023.
Third-grade students learn about identifying story elements as part of Crestwood Elementary School's Dual Language Program in August 2023 in Tampa, Fla. Due to silos in the teaching profession, English learners with disabilities may miss out on language services such as dual language programs in favor of special education programming.
Douglas R. Clifford/Zuma Press/Tampa Bay Times via TNS
English Learners How Schools Are Failing English Learners With Disabilities
An EdWeek Research Center survey found gaps in trained staff for dually identified students.
Ileana Najarro, July 24, 2026
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4 min read
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Dominic Di Palermo for Education Week
Special Education Video Inside a Summer School Program for Special Education Students
Academic support offered between school years is especially important for students with learning differences.
Marvin Joseph, July 17, 2026
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1 min read
20250329 AMX US NEWS OSCEOLA PARENTS FEAR DISASTROUS FALLOUT 1 OS
Melanie Thomas plays with her autistic son, Luke, at their home in St. Cloud, Fla., on March 25, 2025. The local school district implemented changes that would merge more students with disabilities into mainstream classes. A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that the number of students who have disabilities and spend at least 40% of their school day in general education classes rose about 25% between the 2012-13 and 2023-24 school years.
Stephen Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via TNS
Special Education More Students With Disabilities Are in General Education Classes. How's That Working?
New report examines states' efforts to educate students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, July 14, 2026
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1 min read
Asia Screen, special education compliance monitor, center right, greets a student at Edward T. Steel School on the first day of school on Aug. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia.
Asia Screen, special education compliance monitor, greets a student at Edward T. Steel School on the first day of school on Aug. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia. A new report from Congress' nonpartisan watchdog finds students with disabilities are spending more time in mainstream classrooms, though the progress toward achieving that goal in federal law varied by state.
Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
Special Education Students With Disabilities Are Spending More Time in Mainstream Classes
Under federal law, students with disabilities are supposed to learn in the least restrictive environment.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, July 7, 2026
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6 min read
Image of a student's silhouette with a sunrise in it. Overlay is a medical file.
Illustration with Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty
Special Education Opinion Why Moving Special Education Out of the Ed. Dept Will Not Help Students
We shouldn’t redefine special education as a medical service. What to know as it moves to HHS.
Jerell Hill, June 22, 2026
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5 min read
Special Education Spotlight Spotlight on ADHD, Inclusion, and IDEA: How Schools are Redefining Support for Students with Disabilities
New ADHD research and inclusive practices are reshaping how schools support students with disabilities and learning differences.
June 3, 2026
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Classroom Technology Sponsor Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Accessibility as a Superpower
The morning literacy block has begun, and Ms. Williams is watching children in her classroom use a literacy app she just added to her reading centers. She sees one student open the app and create a story that features them as the main character, while another asks for her help to turn on the read aloud feature. The app reads the story aloud for them, pointing to each word as it is read, allowing full control over the text displays with rich image descriptions.
Content provided by Digital Promise
A gif with web accessible icons around a computer screen with a magnifying glass.
Shivendu Jauhari/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy Schools Have Another Year to Make Websites Accessible. Why That Matters
People with disabilities say inaccessible online content is a barrier to participating in public life.
Evie Blad, April 28, 2026
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4 min read
Special Education Spotlight Knock Down the Barriers to Inclusive Literacy Instruction
Literacy for all: inclusive classrooms, accessible tools, and strong supports help students with disabilities learn, belong, and thrive.
April 15, 2026
Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens speaks after being announced as AASA National Superintendent of the Year in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 12, 2026.
Roosevelt Nivens, superintendent of the Lamar Consolidated Independent school district in Texas, speaks after being named superintendent of the year by AASA in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 12, 2026. The district Nivens leads will open a new charter school for students with autism in the 2026-27 school year.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Special Education Inside a K-12 District’s Plan for a Charter School for Students With Autism
A specialized charter school will serve a fast-growing segment of a Texas school district's student body.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 11, 2026
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6 min read