Special educational needs (SEN) are those related to students who have high ability or learning difficulties. These students are not necessarily disabled, but they are those who become special when they require appropriate specific responses. The present study addresses the question of the inclusion of these people, with the objective of verifying conceptions and criteria of elementary school teachers who work with students with SEN. For this, a structured questionnaire containing 7 discursive questions was used as methodological procedure. Primary school science teachers from 4 schools, two private and two from Goiânia, answered the questions. The inclusion of students with SEN in regular teaching groups is a process that requires respect, understanding and dedication to the next, both by family members, teachers and health professionals, as well as the educational institutions that receive this student. This inclusion in the regular system of education is one of the guidelines proposed by public educational policies. However, the qualification of the licensed teacher is lacking, as observed in the obtained results. The curriculum of higher education institutions does not cover disciplines focused on the teaching of students with SEN. Inclusion needs to reflect changes in the behavior of participants in this teaching-learning process, from the right of access of students with SEN to the pedagogical organization of the school so that the student can actually develop their skills.