Children with special educational needs

The term special education is to be perceived as education of children, pupils and students with special educational needs – e.g.  education of children with chronic health condition (with mental retardation, physical disability, visual and/or hearing impairment, speech impediments, autism, simultaneous multiple disabilities, behavioural  developmental disorders) physical handicaps or social disadvantage.

Special education is provided to pupils who have been determined to have special educational needs by the educational counselling facility, and is provided at all levels of the education system.

If needed, and based on the character of the particular health condition, there are special schools, individual classes, sections or study groups with revised educational programmes. 

The integration into the mainstream education is recommended, with regard on the needs of the pupil and the possibilities of the given school. The priority is given to the individual integration (for example in a regular class at a regular school), to group integration (for example in a special class at a regular school ), or to education in a separate schools that have been set up for those pupils (in a special school). 

Education of pupils with special needs uses balancing and supportive measures. We are talking mainly about exploitation of special methods, forms and instruments, about provision of an individual support within the classes and the usage of pedagogical-psychological services. Where appropriate, according to the individual needs of the pupil and based on the evaluation done by the educational counselling facility, it is desirable to provide the education of a pupil according to the individual educational plan and to ensure an active involvement of a teacher assistant in the class.