The aim of the research was to explore how 55 Swedish independent schools, directed at (or limited to) students in need of special support (SNSS), describe their organisation, work and visions. The empirical data of the research consisted of the schools’ website presentations, which were processed and analysed in consecutive steps. The results showed that the students’ complicated school- and life situations were often combined with disabilities mainly in the neuropsychiatric field. The majority of the schools (76%) practiced both schooling and methods for treatment and care, differentiating their role from the mainstream track. Neuropsychiatric and psychological perspectives had a significant influence, reflected in how the schools describe their daily routines, therapeutic methods of treatment and access to specific categories of staff. Small groups, individual instruction and competent staff were described as specific features. Teaching content and didactic aspects were seldom highlighted. The focus on the websites was on socialisation and subjectification while qualification, i.e. knowledge development, had a more limited role. The study points to a need for further research exploring daily pedagogical practice in more depth and calls for a greater focus on student perspectives. Consequences for learning contexts are discussed in the concluding part of the article. The specialist role, the independent schools in the present study tended to take on are most urgent issues to discuss in an educational context striving for equity and inclusive learning environments. 

This paper describes an educational encounter between an educational psychologist as teacher and researcher, and an adult with learning difficulties. The aim was to understand the learning history and the educational needs of the student and to plan her studies in adult education, but also to understand the practice of the teacher/researcher. It is concluded that intelligence as a construct cannot be defined and measured as a single capacity. Theories of intellectual capacity need to be viewed in a relational perspective. From this standpoint, the psychologist/teacher as a fellow being is part of the other's intelligence who has a function as a catalyst, facilitating or hindering the possibilities for the student to express hidden resources. An issue of great importance is how to capture, describe and understand the relational aspects of the educational encounter in existential terms.