Special education as an instrument of social change in Croatia

This text will deal with the development of special pedagogy and its approach to students with developmental disabilities. The first part of the paper will describe the development of special pedagogy, its basic concepts, the development in Croatia and the challenges faced by specialists in special pedagogy in Croatia. The second part of the paper will focus on the difficulties faced by pupils in regular schools and ways in which help can be provided to pupils with different learning disabilities. Special emphasis will be placed on working with autistic students. The final part of the paper will present conclusions on the importance of special pedagogy in modern education and on the need for further development and improvement of special pedagogy in Croatia. All of the above will be supported by scientific papers and research in this field. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into various aspects of special pedagogy, especially with a focus on working with autistic pupils, in order to ensure adequate education for all pupils regardless of their developmental difficulties.