The issue of special needs and the English Language Learner is a complex and complicated one. It involves all of the issues that education for children with special needs has, such as legal issues, psychological issues, parental involvement issues, and the involvement of general education classroom teachers. These issues are intertwined with those of the English Language Learner, such as limited English proficiency of the child and/or parent, cultural issues, language learning issues, and the ability of general education to adequately meet the needs of the ELL students. This article examines research in this field and suggests how schools of education can better prepare teachers for working with this population of students.