There are approximately 800 million young children worldwide affected by biological, environmental and psychosocial conditions that can limit their cognitive development. In Europe, recent estimates place the number of children with special educational needs (SEN) at 15 million. Conservative estimates state that dyslexia, a learning disability that impedes a person’s ability to read, affects approximately 6 percent of Europe’s population, whilst the prevalence of autistic spectrum disorders is also estimated to be higher than previously thought. Children with SEN frequently leave school with few qualifications and are much more likely to become unemployed or economically inactive. Children with SEN are children first and have much in common with other children of the same age. There are many aspects to a child’s development that make up the whole child, including-personality, the ability to communicate (verbal and non-verbal), resilience and strength, the ability to appreciate and enjoy life and the desire to learn. Each child has individual strengths, personality and experiences so particular disabilities will impact differently on individual children. A child’s special educational need should not define the whole child. Presented paper briefly introduces different categories of special educational needs and subsequently describies inclusive education as a concept potentially successful for their academic and vocational performance.