Students With Disabilities

Read about the needs and experiences of students with disabilities in schools
Vivien Henshall, a long-term substitute special education teacher, works with Scarlett Rasmussen separately as other classmates listen to instructions from their teacher at Parkside Elementary School on May 17, 2023, in Grants Pass, Ore.
Vivien Henshall, a long-term substitute special education teacher, works with Scarlett Rasmussen as other classmates listen to instructions from their teacher at Parkside Elementary School on May 17, 2023, in Grants Pass, Ore. Proposals to change Medicaid spending could impact the classroom, where special education services are often covered by the federal health insurance program.
Lindsey Wasson/AP
Student Well-Being How Medicaid Spending Cuts Could Harm Schools
Districts use Medicaid to cover costs of special education, student services. Cuts to the program would hurt, superintendents said.
Evie Blad, April 18, 2025
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4 min read
California principal and NASSP Advocacy Champion award winner Terri Daniels poses with NASSP President Raquel Martinez and NASSP CEO Ronn Nozo.
Terri Daniels, the principal of Folsom Middle School in California, poses with National Association of Secondary School Principals President Raquel Martinez and NASSP CEO Ronn Nozo. Daniels was named the 2025 NASSP Advocacy Champion of the Year and recognized in Washington, D.C., on April 11.
Courtesy of NASSP
School & District Management Speaking Up for Students Is Part of This Principal's Job
Terri Daniels, the National Advocacy Champion of the Year, says principals must advocate on behalf of their students.
Olina Banerji, April 18, 2025
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6 min read
Collaged image of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with brightly colored classroom images in the background.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP + Getty Images
Special Education Opinion RFK Jr. Is the Last Person Who Should Be in Charge of Special Education
Here’s why President Trump’s recent announcement sent a chill down the spines of autistic individuals like me.
David Rivera, April 2, 2025
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3 min read
Image of a laptop with icons for accessibility: translation, sound, magnification, etc.
Collage via iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology Q&A The Steps Schools Should Take So All Students Can Use Ed Tech
An expert outlines what schools need to do to ensure that ed tech is accessible for students with special needs.
Lauraine Langreo, February 28, 2025
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4 min read
Illustration of a young woman looking up at a very large wave of letters, numbers, pencils, and paint brushes looming over her head.
iStock/Getty
Special Education What Educators Need to Know About Dyslexia—and Why It's Not Something to 'Fix'
Curing dyslexia isn't an option, say experts. But with today's resources, there's a lot of reason for optimism.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 13, 2025
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6 min read
Evan Abramson, 47, Director of Technology and Innovation at Morris-Union Jointure Commission, sits for a portrait at the school in Warren, N.J., on Jan. 15, 2025. Morris-Union Jointure Commission works primarily with students up to the age of 21 on the autism spectrum. Abramson, through his experience watching his own son with special needs play video games, helped bring an e-sports lab to life at the school in order to help students better regulate themselves.
Evan Abramson, the director of technology and innovation at Morris-Union Jointure Commission, in Warren, N.J., on Jan. 15, 2025. Abramson spearheaded an esports program to help students on the autism spectrum connect with one another and learn new skills. The gaming arena where students play together may be the first-of-its-kind in the country.
Michelle Gustafson for Education Week
Classroom Technology Leader To Learn From This Tech Director Is Revolutionizing Special Education With Gaming
Evan Abramson led the creation of an esports arena for students with autism spectrum disorder. It may be the first in the country.
Alyson Klein, February 3, 2025
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12 min read
Evan Abramson, 47, director of technology and innovation at Morris-Union Jointure Commission, sits for a portrait at the school in Warren, N.J., on Jan. 15, 2025.
Evan Abramson, the director of technology and innovation at Morris-Union Jointure Commission, assists a student playing video games in the district's esports arena in Warren, N.J., on Jan. 15, 2025.
Michelle Gustafson for Education Week
Classroom Technology Q&A How a District's Embrace of Esports Is Transforming Special Education
Esports can help build 'soft skills' such as collaboration and teamwork, for students in special education, one district leader says.
Alyson Klein, February 3, 2025
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3 min read
Illustration of a young girl with hands on her head, having difficulty reading with scrambled letters on the pages of an open book.
iStock/Getty
Special Education Schools Lag in IDing Kids Who Need Special Education. Are They Catching Up?
Schools in one state are making progress addressing a pandemic-fueled backlog of special education identifications.
Evie Blad, December 11, 2024
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5 min read
Custom illustration by Stuart Briers showing a finger illuminating a spot on the back of another hand that is illuminating keys on a blue computer keyboard with AI apps floating all around.
Stuart Briers for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Q&A AI’s Potential in Special Education: A Researcher’s View
A researcher shares ways he's used generative AI tools effectively with special education students. And what not to do.
Lauraine Langreo, December 9, 2024
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5 min read
Photograph showing a red bead standing out from blue beads on an abacus.
iStock/Getty
Special Education 3 Things Every Teacher Should Know About Learning Differences
A researcher, a teacher, and a student all weigh in: What do you wish all teachers knew about students with learning differences?
Arianna Prothero, December 4, 2024
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3 min read
Photo of teacher and blind student using braille slate.
E+
English Learners English Learners With Disabilities: The Rules Schools Have to Follow
Schools can't force English learners with disabilities to choose between special ed. and language instruction—and other tips from OCR.
Ileana Najarro, November 14, 2024
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4 min read
Neurodiversity. Thinking brain. Difference concept.
iStock/Getty Images + Education Week
Special Education A Guide to Bringing Neurodiverse Learners Into the Fold
Three tips for teachers and principals to accommodate learning differences.
Olina Banerji, October 18, 2024
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3 min read
Black teacher smiling and giving a student a high five in a classroom of Black elementary students.
E+/Getty
Special Education 5 Key Ways to Support Students With Learning Differences
Teachers are often uncertain about how to support students who have dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia.
Arianna Prothero, October 14, 2024
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4 min read
Illustration of a silhouette of a person standing on a white path that drops off into a cliff. The other side of the cliff shows a flag on the path where it picks up.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Are Schools Responsible for Students Who Avoid School? A New Lawsuit Says Yes
A class action argues that the New York City schools aren't adequately supporting students with disabilities who are school-avoidant.
Brooke Schultz, October 10, 2024
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5 min read
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