This paper discusses the outcomes of a Finnish study that investigated the school experiences of former special education students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Twenty-three former students, who had attended classes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders were interviewed. The students had been out of special education and compulsory schooling for about ten years. The study found that almost all of the interviewees began their stories of their school experiences with positive memories, and that their overall feelings about being educated in special classes were very positive. The most positive elements centered around the special education teacher and the small teaching group. The teacher's competence and personality also influenced other positive elements, including improved school achievement, a feeling of fair discipline, and the joy of learning. These positive memories provided a strong contrast to the students' former regular class experiences, where these pupils had generally failed behaviorally as well as academically. Only 14 participants expressed a negative experience surrounding special education. The most common and significant negative element was the experience of being labeled. Some pupils also felt that the quality of the instruction in special classes was not always demanding enough. (Contains 31 references.) (CR)