The article presents the results of the analysis of historical and pedagogical literature and regulatory documents in the field of education, historical prerequisites for the opening of educational and rehabilitation centers (NRC). The peculiarities of their activity in the context of the current approaches of school education for children with special needs are clarified. The urgency of the problem of the development of educational and rehabilitation centers due to educational needs, complex developmental disorders of children with special needs is substantiated, the activity of which provides for the implementation of complex rehabilitation measures aimed at restoring health, obtaining an education of the appropriate level, developing and correcting their disorders. The main tasks of various types of NRC were: ensuring the right of children with complex developmental disabilities to receive an appropriate level of preschool and general secondary education in accordance with their capabilities, abilities, taking into account individual characteristics of development; ensuring early socialization and preparation of such children for obtaining an appropriate level of preschool and general secondary education through a specially organized educational process in combination with psychological and pedagogical, medical, physical, social rehabilitation; formation of civic position, self-esteem, readiness for work, responsibility for their actions; provision of systematic qualified psychological, medical and pedagogical support of children, taking into account their state of health, characteristics of psychophysical development; provision of rehabilitation services according to an individual rehabilitation program for a disabled child; providing psychological and pedagogical assistance to parents (persons replacing them) who are raising children with disabilities, in order to involve them and children in the educational and rehabilitation process.It was determined that the theoretical foundations of the creation of educational and rehabilitation centers provided for diversity and universality. Their special role was to ensure the innovative development of domestic rehabilitation pedagogy, which was the best provision in educational and educational development (correction of speech disorders, etc.) for children with special needs. It is proved that their peculiarities of the conditions of upbringing, education, maintenance of children in educational and rehabilitation centers were determined by a flexible system of educational, educational and correctional and rehabilitation work; the creation of special conditions for the correctional orientation of training, education and overcoming violations of physical and mental development, the formation of speech and other mental processes, improving health, taking into account the nature of developmental disorders; implementation of an individual and differentiated approach in teaching and rehabilitation of children with complex developmental disorders in accordance with the peculiarities of educational and cognitive activities, taking into account the nature of developmental disorders.