["General special education" - defining a questionable area of theory, action and research (author's transl)]

Special education is characterized as an integral part of education in general, and of the interdisciplinary field of rehabilitation. Its close relationship to social work/social education and its dependence on relevant related disciplines are pointed out. The establishment of a "general special educational theory" is regarded as problematic and theoretically impossible, as concrete and differentiated educational statements must always be made in relation to quite definite groups of pupils and/or educational needs. Theoretical reflections and practical actions in the field of special education are, therefore, necessarily directed towards persons with certain types of disabilities and/or specific special educational needs. While "General Special Education" (or "Education of the Handicapped") is rejected as an intermediate field of theory between general education and specific special educational theories, the importance of interdisciplinary and comparative actions in the area of special education and some other overlapping tasks in this field are emphasized.