Abstract
This article presents the history behind the creation and the development of the Special Education area of the Education Department of PUC-Rio. In this department Special Education originally started as a habilitation in the Pedagogy course. Then it became a specialization course (i.e. lato—sensu postgraduate studies), during the last four decades. The leading role of PUC-Rio in preparing human resources for that area in Brazil; the various institutional agreements and partnerships with national and international organizations; and the wide variety of Special Education courses offered by professionals of worldwide reputation led the Special Education area of PUC-Rio to become a key scenario for the building of that area in Brazil.
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