Checking special needs provision before you choose where to live in Spain

Terms used

• Centros preferentes — Centros preferentes are ordinary schools equipped with staff and resources for one type of need, such as autism or hearing impairment.
• Aulas especializadas — Aulas especializadas are special classes inside ordinary schools, with their own staff, where pupils spend part of the day.
• Ayudas — Ayudas are public grants or subsidies, here for pupils with support needs, usually with an income limit.
• Comedor — The comedor is the school lunch service, which may cost extra.
• BOE — The BOE is Spain's national official bulletin, where national laws and grants are published.

Key rules

• No single ranking: No official figure ranks regions, so compare them yourself and confirm locally.
• Definitions differ: Each region defines support needs differently, so compare regional numbers with care.
• Waits: There is no national figure for evaluation waits, so ask the local orientation team.
• Costs: Private therapy, comedor and transport can add up and vary by region, so price them before choosing.

Evaluation waits, ayudas and school types vary by region and year, so confirm current details with the local education office and official bulletins.

Start with the region, then check the town

No single official figure ranks regions on special needs provision. Build your own picture in two steps: compare regions with official data, then check the specific area with the local education office. The checklist below lists each step.

Compare regions with official data

The Ministry of Education publishes yearly tables on pupils with specific educational support needs. They show pupil numbers by region, type of need and type of school (ordinary or special school, public or private).

• Work out the share of pupils with support needs who are in special schools. A high share usually means more separate schooling. A low share usually means more inclusion in ordinary schools.
• Compare that with the Ministry's teaching staff statistics to get a rough idea of how much support staff each region has.
• Read each region's own education department statistics too. Regions define "support needs" differently, so the numbers do not always match.
• The Basque Country and Navarre may keep separate data systems.

The data is usually one to two years old. Treat it as a guide to the direction of travel, not a live picture.

Understand the types of school

Names change by region, so ask what each one means locally.

• Centros de educación especial are separate schools for pupils with significant needs.
• Aulas especializadas (also called aulas específicas or aulas estables) are special classes inside an ordinary school. Pupils spend part of the day there and join the ordinary class for some activities.
• Centros preferentes are ordinary schools equipped for one type of need, such as autism, motor disability, or hearing or visual impairment. They have specialist staff and adapted resources.

Examples: Madrid has centros preferentes for autism, motor and hearing disability. Catalonia uses USEE units and special schools. Andalusia has aulas específicas and centros específicos. The Basque Country uses aulas estables. The number of places and the entry criteria differ by region. Special schools are also expected to become resource centres that support ordinary schools, so ask how this is being applied locally.

Ask the local office about places and waits

Contact the local education office for the area you are considering. Ask which centros preferentes and aulas especializadas nearby suit your child's needs, and how many places they have.

Then ask the area's orientation team how long a school evaluation currently takes. There is no national figure. In busy regions such as Madrid, Andalusia, Valencia, Murcia and the Balearic Islands, families report waits of several months, sometimes a year. Urgent cases, such as a change of school stage, are often prioritised. Ask whether yours would be. Waits vary by area and school year, so get the answer for the specific area, not the region.

Price the costs you would pay yourself

Make a list for each region. The usual items are:

• private therapy, such as speech therapy or psychology
• school comedor (lunch) and any adapted transport
• aides outside class hours

Then look for help. The Ministry publishes yearly national ayudas for pupils with support needs, which can cover therapy-type costs within an income limit. Each region's education department publishes its own subsidies every year. National ayudas appear in the BOE, and regional ones in the regional official bulletin and on education department websites. Local councils and associations may also help. Check the current year's conditions and deadlines before you count on any of them.

Checklist

• Download the regional tables on pupils with specific educational support needs from the Ministry of Education's statistics on non-university education.

• Divide the pupils in special schools by all pupils with support needs in each region you are considering, and compare the results.

• Compare those figures with the Ministry's teaching staff statistics to estimate how much support staff each region has per pupil.

• Read each region's own education department statistics, because the definition of support needs differs between regions.

• Ask the local education office which centros preferentes and aulas especializadas near your chosen area suit your child's type of need.

• List the costs you would pay yourself in each region, such as private therapy, school comedor, transport adaptations and aides outside class hours.

• Look up the national and regional ayudas for pupils with support needs in the official bulletins and education department websites, and ask the town hall and local associations about extra help.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a centro preferente and an aula especializada?

A centro preferente is an ordinary school equipped for one specific disability, such as autism, motor disability or hearing impairment, while an aula especializada is a special class inside an ordinary school. In an aula especializada your child spends part of the day with its own staff and joins the ordinary class for some activities. Names vary by region: Catalonia uses USEE and the Basque Country uses aulas estables.

How long does a school evaluation take in regions with heavy demand?

In busy regions such as Madrid, Andalusia, Valencia, Murcia and the Balearic Islands, families report waits of several months and sometimes a year. Each orientation team covers many schools.

Is there one official figure that ranks regions on special needs provision?

No, there is no single official ranking, so you build the comparison yourself from the Ministry's regional tables. Data is usually 1 to 2 years old. The Basque Country and Navarre may keep separate data systems, so look at their own education departments too.

Where are public subsidies for therapy and other support costs published?

National ayudas for pupils with specific educational support needs are published by the Ministry of Education each year and cover therapy-type costs within an income limit. Regional ayudas appear in each region's official bulletin and on its education department website.