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

ˈspe-shəl-ˈnēdz 

adjective

or special needs

special-needs children

a special needs teacher

Examples of special needs in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both of their children have special needs and are deaf. —Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026

The permissible purposes for a 529 have recently expanded to allow up to $20,000 annually per beneficiary for K-12 tuition, tutoring, special needs therapies, nondegree credentialing programs and, sometimes, rollovers to Roth IRAs. —Virginia Hammerle, Dallas Morning News, 15 Feb. 2026

Attendees going to the Broward Center can access informational videos or a slideshow, spelling out each stage of the theater-going process in a first-person point of view to help people with special needs understand social cues and expectations. —Alyssa Ramos, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2026

Districts with high areas of poverty and significant numbers of special needs students are not adequately funded. —Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for special needs

• centipedes
• intercedes
• millipedes
• supersedes
• accedes
• concedes
• exceeds
• impedes
• misdeeds
• misleads
• oilseeds
• precedes

Kids Definition

special needs

plural noun

: any of various difficulties (such as 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)

special–needs adjective

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

special-needs adjective

special-needs students