Special education in Finland

Finland's rise in the rankings of educational achievement derived from international assessments of the performance of 15-year olds has aroused considerable interest. This article provides a description of special education services in Finland, including the education provided to students with severe disabilities. Finland places an emphasis on early intervention and part-time special education provided by qualified special educators in regular settings for all students who experience difficulties, which appears to work well. There is a lack of information available to evaluate the claims made that the education provided to students with special needs within regular schools is evidence-based. The education provided to students with more severe disabilities, however, who receive a separate developmental curriculum in segregated settings appears not to be evidence-based.