The "special" quality of special education is the body of knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are used in the education and training of exceptional school children. In practice, these children have been those who public school systems could not or would not teach. The history of education for exceptional children is a simple story of massive nelgect, denial, and rejection. The first institutions organized for the blind, deaf, and retarded were residential. Some distinctive programs for exceptional children were organized in public day schools at the turn of the century. But it was not until after World War II that a remarkable surge of activities on behalf of handicapped children began. Currently the field of special education is negotiating a more integrated place for exceptional children in both the public schools and the communities in which they live. There are many new trends in special education taking place today. Since 1970, parents have returned to the courts as a means of promoting public action. Individualism and mainstreaming have both emerged as important trends in this decade. Lastly, a more open view of human capacities seems evident. Special education is in the early phases of a major transformation. An unusual set of opportunities challenges special educators to influence their future and that of the children they serve. (RC)