The term “special needs” covers a range of medical, disability and educational requirements. It includes intellectual, sensory and physical disabilities, learning difficulties, speech and language disorders, epilepsy, autism, ADD/ADHD, developmental delay, chronic illness and gifted and talented children.

Other special needs include children in isolated areas (distance learning), children who move schools frequently (e.g. children of defence force personal and itinerant workers), children whose English is a second language, indigenous students, children in the welfare system, children with behavioural problems and those with poor social skills

State and territory governments provide a range of support services for the various special needs groups. Some children attend disability specific or specialist schools where available but the vast majority of special needs children now attend regular schools, either in special education classes with special education teachers or in main stream classes with additional support

The types of support offered to special needs groups includes student welfare coordinators, social workers, language support, speech pathologists, welfare officers and transports arrangements to and from school.

Outside school there are many support groups. See Special Needs