The country of Trinidad and Tobago have policies and laws in place regarding the distribution of services and resources for special-needs students Tobago, but the implementation and organization of distributing these services and resources are left to the individual school districts. This phenomenological study identified the lack of services and resources for special-needs students based on the perceptions and experiences of educators and parents. Participants included one administrator, four special-needs teachers, and four parents of special needs students. Purposive sampling identified the primary participants, and snowball sampling, the volunteer participants. The participants shared their viewpoints concerning special-needs education in terms of support and needs, resistance to objections, social value, rejection, and parental involvement. Three emerging themes resulted from the findings. Study results indicated that services and resources have a positive effect on special-needs students in Tobago. In-depth interviews were used to pose the research questions. Three research questions guided this study. The first dealt with the lack of services and resources, the second with social conditions (e.g., attitudes and perceptions, advocates, personal relationships) in student achievement, and the third with the actions the school district should take to provide the necessary services and resources. The responses to the interview questions were organized question-by-question to facilitate, analysis, and report the data. Data triangulation was used to strengthen the study. The information was gathered to include only the responses and facts relevant to the study. Interpretations of data through content analysis suggested the need of services and resources to increase students' success on entering school. The study may generate additional research to identify structural and social factors that can influence the interdependence of the school, district and community in meeting the needs of special-needs students in Tobago. Future research should include examination into attitudes of the public regarding special-needs education as well as information directly from special-needs students. Future research should also examine the possibility of new realistic assessments and practical accountability for all schools, and examine specific programs for special-needs students to determine which constitute best practices towards special-needs education. More authentic training and support is needed to ensure policymakers and educators develop a positive attitude toward special-needs students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]