Special needs and support
Helps you get a child with additional needs evaluated and supported.
Get a child with additional needs evaluated and supported at school: evaluation, foreign diagnoses, placement, in-class support, early intervention, therapy costs, rights and the transition to adulthood.
- topics
- 11
- articles
- 50
- of reading
- 6.1 hours
Begin with
Evaluation and foreign diagnoses
You will know how to start a school evaluation, what your existing reports count for, what to prepare and what to request while you wait.
Requesting a school evaluation (evaluación psicopedagógica) · Reading the evaluation report and school placement opinion (dictamen de escolarización) · Does your child's foreign diagnosis or IEP count in Spain?
More in special needs and support
10 more topics in this section, about 6.1 hours of reading in all.
How special needs support works
You will understand the Spanish system well enough to ask the right questions, judge a region and sequence your first steps.
How special needs support is organised in Spanish schools · Which category of additional need your child falls under (NEE and NEAE) · What to expect that will feel different from your home country
Special needs school placement
You will know the placement options, how to decide and how to secure a place with support, including when you arrive mid-year.
Mainstream, specific classroom or special school: your placement options · Inclusion in Spain and what it means when choosing between school types · Applying for a school place with reserved places (plazas reservadas)
Support and plans in the classroom
You will know the school's support roles, what a plan really changes, how adaptations affect progress and how to work with the team.
Your child's school support team (orientador, PT, AL and tutor) · How many support hours to expect and who decides · What an individual support plan (adaptación curricular) really changes
Support by type of need
You will find the Spanish support route, classroom types and organisations that match your child's specific need.
Autism (TEA) at school: classrooms, methods and support in Spain · ADHD (TDAH), dyslexia and learning difficulties: turning a diagnosis into classroom support · Deaf, blind, low-vision or physical disability: school support and specialist services
Health conditions and medication at school
You will know what a school will and will not do, what paperwork is needed and how to keep your child safe and in school.
Chronic illness at school and what a Spanish school will do · Allergies, epilepsy and diabetes: emergency plans at school · Hospital classrooms, home tuition and long absences (atención educativa domiciliaria)
Early intervention (atención temprana)
You will know whether your baby or toddler qualifies, how to get referred, what to expect on waits and how to plan for age six.
What early intervention (atención temprana) is and who qualifies · Getting an early intervention place and how long you may wait · Continuing your toddler's therapy after moving to Spain from abroad
Therapy costs and financial help
You will know what to budget, who pays for which therapy and which grants to apply for.
What extra support actually costs when the public system isn't enough · Public, school and private therapy: who provides what · Education aid for pupils with specific support needs (ayudas NEAE)
Rights, complaints and appeals
You will know what your child is entitled to and the escalation route from school to inspectorate to formal appeal.
Your child's rights to inclusive education in Spain · Your child's right to school and support whatever your residence status · Can you challenge a school placement or support decision? Appeal rights explained
Transitions and adulthood
You will know what to prepare for the move to secondary school, what carries over between regions, how exams are adjusted and what comes after 16 and 18.
Moving from primary to secondary (ESO) with a support plan · What carries over when you change region or school stage · Exam adjustments and qualifications for students with support needs (ESO and PAU)
Family support and respite
You will know where to find breaks, peers and practical help for caregivers, and how to start when nothing seems to exist locally.
Respite and caregiver breaks (respiro familiar) in Spain · Associations and parent networks for families of children with additional needs · Using local social services (servicios sociales) as a door to family support
Other sections in Family, children, and education
School systems and enrollment
Helps you choose and enrol in the right school or study place.
Language and integration at school
Helps you help a child learn and settle in a new school language.
Childcare and family logistics
Helps you arrange reliable childcare while settling and working.
Partner alignment and family adjustment
Helps you keep the family aligned and coping through the move.
School costs, meals, transport and financial support
Helps you budget for and reduce the cost of schooling.
University and higher education
Helps you choose, get into and pay for university or other higher study in Spain.
Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.