Children and young people with special educational needs that cannot be met by other schools attend a special school.

Special schools diagnose, educate, teach, counsel and support children and adolescents who require special educational support and who therefore cannot be supported and taught at a general or vocational school, or cannot be supported and taught sufficiently.

The tasks of the special schools include:

• school-based instruction and support in classes with specific special needs,
• pre-school support through the pre-school institutions,
  • within the limits of available positions and funds
• pre-school support through the Mobile Special Needs Education Services, and
• mobile special education services to support pupils in need of support in general schools or in special schools.

The special schools meet the special educational needs by providing an education that is appropriate to the aptitudes and individual characteristics of the children and adolescents. They contribute to personality development and support social and professional development. In the case of children and adolescents who are constantly dependent on outside help, education and instruction may include nursing tasks.