special needs
plural noun
: any of various difficulties (such as a physical, emotional, behavioral, or learning disability or impairment) that causes an individual to require additional or specialized services or accommodations (such as in education or recreation)
students with special needs
special-needs
adjective
or special needs
special-needs children
a special needs teacher
Examples of special needs in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The couple, who have been married since 2020, met in 2018 at the annual Night to Shine event, a worldwide prom for people with special needs.
—
Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
In Phoenix, 80 children were adopted in a single day, including 9-year-old Michelle, who has special needs.
—Eric Noll, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2023
Kids can receive testing accommodations, including extra time, for special needs.
—Vulture, 22 Nov. 2023
The link in his Instagram story leads to a medical website that sells helmets for people with special needs.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2023
Mental Help 365 received funding from UNICEF, the United Nations’ children’s fund, and gathered a team of specialists to provide psychological support to 1,657 children with special needs across the country.
—Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023
Mocking viewers upset with his domestic violence joke by evoking special needs only added more fuel to the controversy.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
Each American household with a special needs child suffers an annual income loss of around $18,000, the study found.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 4 Nov. 2023
Upon retiring from restaurant ownership, Kraft continued helping special needs students by sharing her culinary skills.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2023
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Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
In Phoenix, 80 children were adopted in a single day, including 9-year-old Michelle, who has special needs.
—Eric Noll, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2023
Kids can receive testing accommodations, including extra time, for special needs.
—Vulture, 22 Nov. 2023
The link in his Instagram story leads to a medical website that sells helmets for people with special needs.
—Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2023
Mental Help 365 received funding from UNICEF, the United Nations’ children’s fund, and gathered a team of specialists to provide psychological support to 1,657 children with special needs across the country.
—Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023
Mocking viewers upset with his domestic violence joke by evoking special needs only added more fuel to the controversy.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
Each American household with a special needs child suffers an annual income loss of around $18,000, the study found.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 4 Nov. 2023
Upon retiring from restaurant ownership, Kraft continued helping special needs students by sharing her culinary skills.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'special needs.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1899, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near special needs
Cite this Entry
“Special needs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special%20needs. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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Medical Definition
special needs
noun plural
: the individual requirements (as for education) of a person with a disadvantaged background or a mental, emotional, or physical disability or a high risk of developing one
Some urban homeschooled kids, particularly those with special needs, were previously enrolled in school but not served well there.—Linda Perlstein, Newsweek
Linda Perlstein, Newsweek
special-needs
adjective
special-needs students
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