Students With Disabilities

Read about the needs and experiences of students with disabilities in schools
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
An illustration of a small person of color dragging a very large bookbag on their back.
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Special Education How Students With Disabilities Fare in Both Charter and Regular Public Schools
Students with disabilities experienced inequities in both types of schools, a new analysis shows.
Brooke Schultz, October 8, 2024
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6 min read
Dyscalculia 1 FAQ BS
Special Education Video Dyscalculia FAQ: The Math Disability Teachers Should Know About
Dyscalculia is a math learning disability that affects 5 to 8 percent of the population. Here's what teachers should know.
Jaclyn Borowski, October 7, 2024
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4:56
A child contemplates throwing a paper airplane while sitting at the center of a large abstract flower resembling a brain.
Nix Ren for Education Week
Special Education How Teachers Can Motivate and Engage Neurodiverse Students
A balanced approach of addressing students' strengths and weaknesses is best, experts say.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 7, 2024
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5 min read
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