special needs

[ spesh-uhl needz ]

/ ˈspɛʃ əl ˈnidz /

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plural noun Sometimes Offensive.

the special educational requirements of those with learning difficulties, emotional or behavioral problems, or physical disabilities.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

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Origin of special needs

First recorded in 1895–1900

usage note for special needs

See special.

OTHER WORDS FROM special needs

spe·cial-needs, adjective

Words nearby special needs

Special K, special library, special licence, specially, special marine warning, special needs, Special Olympics, special order, special partner, special partnership, special plea

How to use special needs in a sentence

The CTC has been a lifeline—the entirety of our first payment went to a doctor’s appointment for one of my special needs sons.
The Child Tax Credit Was a Lifeline to My Special-Needs Sons. Congress Must Extend It.|Jennifer Dickman|November 2, 2021|Time
Moore is aware of her slim chances of finding another affordable property that is big enough for her family and in an area where her special needs grandchild receives support services—much less a landlord willing to accept her rental voucher.
Including Housing Voucher Funds in Democrats' Reconciliation Bill is the First Challenge. Getting Landlords to Accept Them is Another|Abby Vesoulis|October 4, 2021|Time
Johnson went on to testify that he’d repeatedly asked for a special needs trust so that he could collect his future settlement without losing his Social Security benefits.
Avenatti Grills Paraplegic Client He Allegedly Stole From: ‘Did You Appreciate Me?’|Kate Briquelet, Meghann Cuniff|July 22, 2021|The Daily Beast
Lorrine Paradela, 46, a single mother, said the money allowed her to quit the second job she worked on top of her full-time position, working with special needs children in schools.
Cash payments spread from Congress to Stockton to Brazil — but notion of ‘universal basic income’ far from reality|Eli Rosenberg, Jeff Stein, Heloisa Traiano|April 22, 2021|Washington Post

The software was originally developed at the University of Central Florida to help teachers in the school of education practice working with special needs children before moving on to real students.
This new VR simulator helps you prepare for the most awkward office encounters|Lee Clifford|November 30, 2020|Fortune
By the way, why is special interests always shady while special needs is practically an accolade?
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And while everyone benefits from gardens, they can provide an extra boost for kids with special needs.
Magical Gardens for the Blind, Deaf, and Disabled|Elizabeth Picciuto|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
About half of these are preschool students with varying levels of special needs.
Magical Gardens for the Blind, Deaf, and Disabled|Elizabeth Picciuto|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They can no longer access the park because their children with special needs have meltdowns when they have to wait.
Disney World Means Everything to a Special Needs Mom|Elizabeth Picciuto|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Next, we will have to get a seat made for people with special needs.
The Cost of Raising a Special Needs Son|Elizabeth Picciuto|June 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Secondly, there are special needs dependent on locality or on the race or temperament of the users of a particular library.
The Building of a Book|Various
One surely need not hesitate a moment in naming as the one for our special needs the writer we have just quoted.
Stained Glass Work|C. W. Whall
It was with the special needs of these people that the Regina Railway Mission had to deal.
Across the Prairie in a Motor Caravan|Frances Halton Eva Hasell
The War Department Code is a military code adapted to the special needs of the military establishment in peace and war.
Visual Signaling|Signal Corps United States Army
Storage batteries as used in modern submarines have been especially developed to meet the special needs of submarine-boat service.
The Submarine in War and Peace|Simon Lake

British Dictionary definitions for special needs

special needs

special educational needs

pl n

the educational requirements of pupils or students suffering from any of a wide range of physical disabilities, medical conditions, intellectual difficulties, or emotional problems, including deafness, blindness, dyslexia, learning difficulties, and behavioural problems
(as modifier)special-needs teachers

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012