ABSTRACT
The organization of a special education system started very late in Portugal, compared to other European countries. Diversified and flexible forms of provision for children with special needs are increasingly available in Portugal. A quick process of democratization created a social and political climate which made integration policy implementation easier within a short period of time. The social benefits of integration and full access to mainstream had become the major goals of the integration movement in education. Some strategies were adopted to facilitate the integration process and to mediate the necessary adaptations in ordinary schools according to the individual child's needs, from pre-school to secondary level. Schools naturally participated in the whole process of change, both at institutional and educational level. Two main priorities were established from the beginning of the whole process: The development of special education post-graduate teacher training courses and the creation of regional support teams.
