Special needs education for adults

Special needs education for adults is an offer for individuals living with physical or mental disabilities.

The programme may include teaching and special educational assistance aimed at reducing or limiting the consequences of your disability. It may also involve guidance for you and your relatives.

The education is intended to provide you with new opportunities for a more active life. For example, it may give you knowledge of strategies and methods that enable you to take a more active role in your own life and society.

Special needs education for adults is initiated by your municipality and is a planned, time-limited, progressive, and goal-oriented activity.

Special needs education does not cover dyslexia or special educational assistance for ordinary education (SPS).

• Read more about education for adults with dyslexia
• Read more about special educational assistance (SPS) (in Danish)

Special needs education for adults is aimed at individuals living with physical or mental disabilities.

Physical and mental disabilities may include many different types of functional impairments. The disability may be congenital or acquired later in life as a result of illness, an accident, or other causes. It may also involve a combination of different impairments, for example in cases of brain injury or developmental disability.

If you are unsure whether you qualify for special needs education for adults, contact your municipality.

Your municipality of residence—or the communication center it collaborates with—assess whether you are part of the target group for special needs education.

If you are, the municipality must assess your skills, needs, and conditions before the programme begins, so the education can be tailored to you.

Once you start, the municipality will continuously evaluate, in consultation with you, whether you are receiving the expected benefit from the education.

If not, the education plan must be revised together with you. If you and your municipality determine that you no longer need the education, it will be discontinued, and you will receive guidance about other relevant services.

Special needs education for adults typically takes place at municipal special schools or communication centers. Your municipality will refer you to a specific institution that can meet your needs.

Teaching may take place in groups or one-on-one. It will usually happen at an educational institution but may also occur in your home, workplace, residential facility, or similar settings.

You can appeal to the Board of Appeal for Special Needs Education (Klagenævnet for Specialundervisning), regarding legal issues in the municipality’s decision on special education for adults. If you wish to appeal, you must submit your complaint within 4 weeks of receiving the municipality’s decision.

You can receive free guidance on special education from VISO, which is the national knowledge and special counselling organization for social matters. This guidance supplements any measures taken by your municipality. The municipality has the authority to make decisions, possibly based on VISO’s recommendations.

• Board of Appeal for Special Needs Education (in Danish)

You can see the applicable laws and rules on special needs education for adults in the Order as well as in the guidance text at retsinformation.dk.

• Order on special needs education for adults (in Danish)
• Guidance on special needs education for adults (in Danish)