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
Earlier that day a few volunteers at our Joni and Friends Retreat for special needs families signed her up for the children's group.
—
Joni Eareckson Tada, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
The event is dedicated to empowering children with special needs, strengthening public education, and funding national college scholarships.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
In the long run, this may actually make parents even worse off because those sectors have have no obligation at all to serve students with special needs.
—Joshua Cowen, The Conversation, 17 Oct. 2025
The college senior is hoping to assist and possibly teach special needs students after graduation, and has focused her capstone project around the subject.
—Preston Mizell, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for special needs
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Joni Eareckson Tada, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
The event is dedicated to empowering children with special needs, strengthening public education, and funding national college scholarships.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
In the long run, this may actually make parents even worse off because those sectors have have no obligation at all to serve students with special needs.
—Joshua Cowen, The Conversation, 17 Oct. 2025
The college senior is hoping to assist and possibly teach special needs students after graduation, and has focused her capstone project around the subject.
—Preston Mizell, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for special needs
Cite this Entry
“Special needs.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special%20needs. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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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