Democratization is quickly becoming accepted as the process by which a country's education system can achieve its goals of promoting modernization and facilitating a desirable quality of life for all its citizens. In this paper, democratization is viewed as a process which can empower the education system to deliver as far as is possible the education that is required to allow all its people to cope with the global environment of which Trinidad and Tobago is a part. 
The paper assumes a pragmatic perspective in analysing recent currents in policy and decision making in the education of children with special needs, to examine the extent of Trinidad and Tobago's commitment to the concept of democratization. The paper outlines the challenges in its operationalizing to cater for children with special needs at the secondary level. The discussion centres on issues of access, availability, decentralization, curriculum delivery, facilities, resources, support services, research and evaluation, and assessment of children with special needs.