Educational policies and institutions: During the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, there were provisions for tax exemptions and exemptions for disabled people. From the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, enlightened rulers set up special institutions to care for the disabled, such as the "Biefang" in the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the "Yangjiyuan" in the Qing Dynasty, to provide daily relief and assistance to the disabled.

Education content and methods: Education for the blind focuses on music education. For example, the royal band of the Zhou Dynasty was mainly composed of blind people, who received training in musical instrument performance and other aspects. Dwarf education is mainly sacrificial education, teaching dwarfs to make divination in witchcraft activities. Education for the physically disabled includes vocational education such as handicraft education, trade education, and divination. Education for the hearing-impaired focuses on vocational skills training such as handicraft education and trade education. The education method adopts a combination of individual education and collective education, and a combination of theoretical learning and practical operation.

Selection and training methods: In the Han Dynasty, there was a practice of selecting "Tongzilang". In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the "Tongzi Branch" began to be established, and those who took the examination were called "Yitongzhen", which provided a way for extraordinary children to become officials through the imperial examination.

Ideological concepts: At that time, people believed that extraordinary children were the result of the induction of heaven and man by "political connections and harmony between heaven and earth", or the manifestation of the lineage theory of "a prosperous clan for a hundred years, followed by gods". There was also the "child prodigy theory" on the personality characteristics of extraordinary children. There are various interpretations such as "romantic theory", "frail theory" and "genius theory", etc., but in general it does not affect people's respect for extraordinary children.

In the 1830s, the Macao Girls' School initiated the implementation of modern Western education among disabled people in China and became an early exploration of blind education in modern China, but its impact was limited.

In 1874, Beijing Gusou Tongwen School was established as the first special education school in modern China. It introduced the Blair Braille system and created Chinese Braille, laying the foundation for blind education.

In 1887, Yantai Qiyu Academy was established as the first deaf-mute school in modern China. It introduced Western sign language to China and promoted the development of deaf-mute education in China.

Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, special education was mostly established by private individuals, focusing on "care" and "maintenance", and was a charity relief. In 1951, the "Decision of the Government Affairs Council on Reforming the Academic System" and other promulgations established the educational attributes and status of special education, making it an important part of the national education system.

The 1982 Constitution of the People's Republic of China stipulated that the state and society should help arrange the labor, life and education of disabled citizens. Afterwards, the Compulsory Education Law, the Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons, and the Regulations on Education for Disabled Persons were successively promulgated and revised, and special education has entered the track of law-based education.

In the 1980s, my country began to experiment with regular classes, which was later established by law, improving the popularity of compulsory education for children with disabilities and breaking the single form of placement in special education schools.

After years of development, a special education development model with Chinese characteristics has basically been formed, with special education schools as the backbone, a large number of regular classes and special education classes as the main body, and door-to-door teaching as the supplement. The special education system has also taken initial shape.

Since the founding of New China, the promulgation of a series of policies and regulations has provided a solid guarantee for the development of special education. For example, in 1951, the "Decision of the Government Affairs Council on Reforming the Academic System" established the status of special education in the national education system. Since then, the "Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China", the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Disabled Persons, and the "Regulations on the Education of Disabled Persons" have been continuously revised. Improvement has provided strong support for the development of special education and the educational rights of disabled children and adolescents.

From preschool education to higher education, the special education system has initially taken shape. Preschool special education started late but is developing rapidly. A variety of institutions provide early intervention and educational services for children with disabilities. The compulsory education stage is the focus, and an educational pattern has been formed with special education schools as the backbone, regular classes and special education classes as the main body, and door-to-door education as the supplement. Higher special education has also continued to develop. Many universities have opened special education majors to cultivate professional talents. Some universities also recruit students with disabilities to receive higher education.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the focus groups of special education have been further expanded, and integrated education has become an important development direction. Ordinary primary and secondary schools are increasingly becoming the main battlefield for special education. Promote the pairing of special education schools and ordinary schools for assistance and co-construction, create an integrated education environment, and strengthen the sharing and integration of inter-school resources. At the same time, we are also developing integrated education teaching guidelines for the compulsory education stage, carrying out work such as the creation of model schools in integrated education demonstration zones and the selection of outstanding education and teaching cases.

On the one hand, special education schools continue to strengthen their own construction, adhere to the three-dimensional education, promote curriculum reform, strengthen the construction of teachers, and improve the quality of classroom teaching. On the other hand, with the help of modern information technology, such as promoting the construction of special education smart campuses and smart classrooms, we can enrich teaching resources and methods and provide more suitable education for students with disabilities.

Special education majors in colleges and universities continue to optimize curriculum and teaching methods to cultivate more professional talents. At the same time, the in-service teacher training system is also increasingly improving. Through national training plans, provincial training projects, etc., teachers’ professionalism and education and teaching abilities are improved, and measures such as improving the treatment of special education teachers are used to attract and retain outstanding talents.

Society's attention to and participation in special education continues to increase, and charitable organizations, enterprises, volunteers, etc. actively provide funds, materials, volunteer services and other support for special education. At the same time, increased publicity has also enhanced society's understanding and tolerance of disabled people, creating a good social atmosphere for special education.

The country has promulgated a series of policies and regulations. For example, the Constitution clearly guarantees the education rights of persons with disabilities, and the Compulsory Education Law, Vocational Education Law, Higher Education Law, and Law on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities also have relevant legal provisions. The State Council promulgated the "Regulations on the Education of Persons with Disabilities" in 1994, the "Barrier-free Environment Construction Law" passed in 2023, and the "Minor Protection Law" revised in 2024, etc., all provide strong legal support for the development of special education. The responsibilities and obligations of all aspects are clarified and the right to education of children with disabilities is guaranteed.

A special education system from preschool education to higher education has been initially formed. In terms of pre-school education, ordinary kindergartens are encouraged to accept children with disabilities, and special education schools and special education classes attached to ordinary schools are supported to carry out pre-school education. The compulsory education stage is the focus, and an educational pattern has been formed with special education schools as the backbone, regular classes and special education classes as the main body, and door-to-door education as the supplement. At the higher education level, many universities have opened special education majors to cultivate professional talents, and some universities also recruit students with disabilities to receive higher education.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the focus groups of special education have been further expanded, and integrated education has become an important development direction. Special education schools and ordinary schools are promoted to pair up, assist and co-construct, create an integrated education environment, and strengthen inter-school resource sharing and integration. At the same time, we will develop integrated education teaching guidelines for the compulsory education stage, carry out work such as establishing model schools in integrated education demonstration zones and selecting outstanding education and teaching cases.

On the one hand, special education schools continue to strengthen their own construction, adhere to the three-dimensional education, promote curriculum reform, implement national curriculum standards, strengthen the construction of special education curriculum materials systems, and improve the quality of classroom teaching. On the other hand, with the help of modern information technology, such as promoting the construction of special education smart campuses and smart classrooms, we can provide more suitable education for students with disabilities.

Special education majors in colleges and universities continue to optimize curriculum and teaching methods to cultivate more professional talents. At the same time, the in-service teacher training system is also increasingly improving. Through national training plans, provincial training projects, etc., teachers’ professionalism and education and teaching abilities are improved, and measures such as improving the treatment of special education teachers are used to attract and retain outstanding talents.

Society's attention to and participation in special education continues to increase, and charitable organizations, enterprises, volunteers, etc. actively provide funds, materials, volunteer services and other support for special education. At the same time, increased publicity has also enhanced society's understanding and tolerance of disabled people, creating a good social atmosphere for special education.

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