Special Educational Needs

Children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) can be cared for either in an integrative school or in a special school, depending on the wishes of the parents or guardians. SEN are assessed either at the request of the legal guardian or officially by the education authority.

Integrative lessons open up a wide range of opportunities for children and young people with and without SEN to share learning experiences. Pupils with special educational needs can enjoy integrative teaching at primary school, compulsory secondary school, the lower cycle of an academic secondary school, pre-vocational school and the one-year domestic science school.

Special school (from the ages of 6 to 15 years)

Special school consists of nine grades, with the last grade being a pre-vocational year. With the approval of the school authority and with the consent of the body operating the school, the special school may be attended for a maximum of 12 years. Special school education in Austria is made up of ten types.

Adequate special education support for students is provided through the use of specific curricula. Qualified teachers are employed both in special schools and in inclusive education. The goal of individualized instruction is to enable students to master further vocational training or attend secondary schools by providing them with a basic general education.
 

Educational and careers guidance

The subject area "Vocational orientation in the Years 7 and 8 of school-based education" is a compulsory exercise in general special schools. This compulsory exercise is intended to enable young people to consider their own personal development, inclinations and interests, together with their vocational aspirations in a targeted way. It is also intended to provide insights into everyday life in the workplace and enable young people to identify opportunities for them to pursue the individual career they desire.

The next step:

These are some of the opportunities that are available to young people after completing their special school education or integrated education:

• Completion of the Pre-Vocational Year as their ninth year of education, in preparation for the world of work. After that, it would be possible for them to commence an apprenticeship, in the context of an Individual Vocational Training programme in accordance with §8b Vocational Training Act (extended apprenticeship period/partial qualification).

Source (in German)

https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/Themen/schule/schulsystem/sa/sp.html