Difference between special education and regular education?

To make a long answer short, students who receive special education services are entitled to more help with their studies. This can mean extended time for testing, help reading materials, shortened assignments, and so on.

Students must qualify for special education before they can get these special services, however. There are several categories a student can qualify in and the qualifications are quite similar across the United States, but they are set by the individual states, so they are not identical.