Homeschooling a child with special educational needs

Special educational needs are one of the recurring reasons families give for leaving school. Portugal's inclusive education law does not stop at the school gate: it also applies to children taught at home, and since 2025 there is a specific exam rule for some of them. This guide explains what applies today and what may change soon.

Inclusive education applies at home too

DL 70/2021, the homeschooling law, says that the general rules of the education system apply to homeschooled pupils where it has no rule of its own. That includes the inclusive education law, Decreto-Lei n.º 54/2018.11. Decreto-Lei n.º 70/2021, de 3 de agostoDiário da República33. Decreto-Lei n.º 54/2018, de 6 de julhoDiário da República DL 54/2018 organises support in three levels of measures: universal, selective and additional (medidas universais, seletivas e adicionais).3

For home education this has three practical effects:

• The protocol can include inclusive education advice. The collaboration agreement (protocolo de colaboração) may provide for advice from the school's multidisciplinary inclusive education team (equipa multidisciplinar de apoio à educação inclusiva (EMAEI)) on inclusive practices.1
• Support measures belong in the plan. The ministry's model protocol says that, where DL 54/2018 measures apply, they must be included in the pupil's educational plan (projeto educativo).66. Protocolo de colaboração no âmbito do ensino individual e do ensino doméstico: nota explicativa e minuta (DGEstE, August 2021)DGEstE (copy hosted by Arlindovsky blog)
• Reports go into the pupil's file. The individual pupil file (processo individual) kept by the school can hold medical and psychological reports when useful.1

The 2025 exam exemption for significant curricular adaptations

Before 2025, a homeschooled child with significant curricular adaptations still faced the same end-of-cycle tests as every other homeschooler. Now, for pupils with the additional measure significant curricular adaptations (adaptações curriculares significativas):22. Decreto-Lei n.º 8/2025, de 11 de fevereiroDiário da República

• they do not take the equivalence tests (provas de equivalência à frequência), the 9.º ano provas finais or the secondary national exams for approval or completion;244. Despacho Normativo n.º 3/2026, de 23 de fevereiro (Regulamento das Provas 2025-2028)Direção-Geral da Educação / EduQA
• assessment follows the rules of DL 54/2018 for these pupils, with the school of enrolment exercising the powers that DL 54/2018 gives to schools;2
• certificates and diplomas are issued under article 30.º of DL 54/2018;2
• whether the pupil sits the ModA monitoring tests in 4.º and 6.º ano is decided by the school director after hearing the parent.4

The press estimated in 2025 that only around 43 homeschooled pupils were affected.77. Alunos do ensino doméstico com necessidades específicas isentos de provas e exames finais (11 February 2025)Público For those families the change is large.

As we read the law, the exemption depends on the measure being formally in place under DL 54/2018: the text speaks of pupils with additional measures, not of a diagnosis alone. The texts we reviewed do not describe a separate procedure for homeschooled pupils, so ask the school early how it will assess your child's needs and record any measures.

Exam adaptations for other pupils

Many children with support needs do not have significant curricular adaptations but still benefit from adapted exam conditions, such as extra time. Pupils with support measures can request adaptations to the external assessment process.4 Homeschoolers sit tests as external candidates (autopropostos). If your child has no individual file at the school where they register for the tests, the request is made at registration.4

Registration for the ensino básico tests runs in March (5 to 18 March 2027 for the 1.ª fase).4 Gather reports well before then. The exams guide explains registration.

How the measures affect assessment at a glance

Sources: DL 8/2025 and Despacho Normativo 3/2026.24

The 2026 inclusive education reform: approved, not yet in force

The government communiqué announces the approval, not the final text.55. Comunicado do Conselho de Ministros de 30 de julho de 2026Governo de Portugal We do not yet know whether the revision will touch the 2025 exam exemption, which sits in the homeschooling law rather than in DL 54/2018. We will update this guide when the decree is published.

Practical advice

• Start the conversation at enrolment. Mention your child's needs in the request and at the interview, and ask for EMAEI advice to be written into the protocol.1
• Put the measures in the plan. Describe support measures and how you will work with them in the annual plan.6
• Bring reports and keep copies. Medical, psychological and therapy reports help the school decide on measures. Keep your own copies of everything you hand over.
• Ask how assessment will work. If your child has significant curricular adaptations, agree in writing what will be assessed, by whom and when, since the usual tests do not apply.
• Think ahead for secondary and university. If your child has significant curricular adaptations and may later want to continue to higher education, discuss with the school early what the exemption means for later options. The texts we reviewed do not address this.
• Adapt the portfolio. The portfolio can show progress in varied forms: photos, audio, video and projects all count as evidence.1
• Stay cooperative. The school has duties towards your child here as well. Short, written, friendly requests usually work better than long disputes.