Clusters in special education.

What are clusters in special education?

There are different types of schools in special education that focus on different support needs of children. These are called clusters. Each cluster has its own knowledge and schools that fit it.

There are 4 clusters in special education:

• Cluster 1 education: for children with a visual impairment and children who have a visual impairment plus an intellectual disability or other support needs.
• Cluster 2 education: for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, have a language development disorder, a hearing and visual impairment, or complex communication disabilities.
• Cluster 3 education: for children with a physical disability, intellectual disability, chronic illness or multiple disabilities.
• Cluster 4 education: for children with serious behavioral or psychiatric problems.

Cluster 1: children with a visual (and intellectual) disability

Cluster 1 education is for children with a visual impairment. They receive for example:

• adapted learning materials, such as braille or large print;
• tools such as speech software;
• guidance in small groups.

There are two institutions in the Netherlands that offer cluster 1 education. These are Bartiméus and Koninklijke Visio.

Admission to cluster 1 and cluster 2 schools

A cluster 1 or cluster 2 school has certain admission requirements. The research committee of the institution looks and decides whether your child meets these. You can request the requirements from the school. The committee’s decision also states how long your child’s admission is valid.

Many children with a visual or hearing impairment can participate in regular education. Children at a regular primary or secondary school can receive support from one of the cluster institutions.

Cluster 3: children with a physical disability, intellectual disability or chronic illness

Cluster 3 education is for children who need extra care or guidance due to their disability. This can be:

• a physical disability
• an intellectual disability
• chronic illness
• or multiple disabilities

Cluster 3 schools often offer adapted classrooms and tools, intensive guidance and a combination of care and education.

Examples of cluster 3 schools:

• Mytyl school
• Tyltyl school
• Schools for very difficult learning children

Cluster 4: children with behavioral or psychiatric problems

Cluster 4 education is for children who have a lot of difficulty with:

• behavior
• emotion regulation
• stimulus processing
• social contact
• autism
• AD(H)D
• or psychiatric issues

Cluster 4 schools have a lot of structure, predictability, smaller classes and cooperation with youth care. Information about cluster 4 and youth care can often be found via the partnership tailored education.

Admission to cluster 3 and cluster 4 schools

You cannot just enroll your child in a cluster 3 or cluster 4 school. A declaration of admissibility is needed. Your child’s current (regular) school requests the declaration of admissibility from the partnership tailored education in your region. After this request, the partnership assesses whether your child is indeed eligible for special education.