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
Weinstein was born in New York and taught English to children with special needs at Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small community near the Gaza border.
—
Arkansas Online, 6 June 2025
Priority is given to those on the 2024 waiting list, including homeless individuals, veterans, vulnerable populations, households with special needs, and individuals with mobility, hearing or vision impairments.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
Many private schools do not have resources to accommodate special needs students or may require certain testing or grades to be able to enroll.
—Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
The four highest categories were serving children who are neurodiverse (74%), children performing below grade level (63%), children who experienced emotional trauma (50%), and children with other special needs (46%).
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for special needs
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Arkansas Online, 6 June 2025
Priority is given to those on the 2024 waiting list, including homeless individuals, veterans, vulnerable populations, households with special needs, and individuals with mobility, hearing or vision impairments.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
Many private schools do not have resources to accommodate special needs students or may require certain testing or grades to be able to enroll.
—Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
The four highest categories were serving children who are neurodiverse (74%), children performing below grade level (63%), children who experienced emotional trauma (50%), and children with other special needs (46%).
—Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 2 June 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 10 Jun. 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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