Special education in Portugal: the new law and the ICF-CY

AbstractThere is genuine concern on the part of many educational professionals and parents as to the impact that the new Portuguese special education law will have on the lives of students with special educational needs (SEN), mainly because the law calls for the use of the International Classification of Functionality, Disability, and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY). A pilot study has been conducted to explore the possible problems that could arise if the ICF-CY is used in education. The results of this investigation provide evidence that its use could have negative implications on the lives of children with SEN