Beyond the Buzzword: Unpacking ‘Special Needs’ in Denmark

The term ‘special needs’ encompasses various definitions of what is considered ‘special’ for children with functional variations. These definitions reflect societal views shaped by politics, economics, governance, and knowledge, all of which significantly impact how children with varying abilities engage in society, how they are treated, and what positions are available to them. This article explores the dominant categorizations of special needs in Danish legislation and practice, highlighting the tension between these definitions and different disability models. These models differ in their approach to how special needs are understood, explained, and situated in relation to a child’s challenges within an institutional context. Using a Foucauldian governmentality approach, we examine the term within Denmark’s legislative framework for daycare and education and conclude that the term (still) fosters highly individualized and functionalistic approaches. Concerns are raised about the concept of special needs, emphasizing the need for critical reflection on how it influences processes of inclusion and exclusion in modern societies.