[Page 3293]Special education is instruction designed for individuals with identified disabilities to meet their specific needs. This entry reviews the history of special education, describes the law that guides special education services in the United States, defines the categories of disability that are eligible to receive special education, and reviews the continuum of educational placements in which special education takes place. This entry also reviews the elements of an individualized education program, the role of related services to special education, and the provision of special education services for young children and adolescents transitioning to postschool environments.