The international conference European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) SIG 15 – Special Educational Needs  took place in Helsinki from 17 to 19 August 2026.

The conference attracted a wide range of international participants: the largest numbers came from Germany (46 people), Finland (27 people) and Switzerland (17 people), whilst researchers and PhD students were also present from South Korea, the United States, Chile and South Africa, amongst others.

Two participants from Hungary, Fanni Földi and Diana Berényi, staff members of the Institute of Special Needs Education for People with Atypical Behaviour and Cognition from Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Needs Education, ELTE, took part. EARLI is one of Europe’s leading academic organisations in the field of education and learning research, bringing together researchers in this field at an international level. The conference focused on research relating to the upbringing, education and support of children and young people with special educational needs.

Fanni Földi and Mónika Macher’s study, entitled ‘An Examination of the Processing of Grammatical Structures among First- and Fourth-Grade Students with Mild Intellectual Disability’, examined the processing of grammatical structures by pupils with learning difficulties in various educational settings. The findings of the study were presented by Fanni Földi.

The research by Diana Berényi, Fanni Földi and Ágota Szekeres, entitled ‘Identity Formation among Youth with Mild Intellectual Disabilities’, focused on identity formation among young people with learning difficulties, with particular regard to the links between the educational environment and career choices. Diana Berényi gave a presentation on the research.

Participation in the conference provided an opportunity to showcase the faculty’s ongoing research on an international stage, to exchange professional expertise and to expand international networks.