The article reveals the historical aspect of various approaches to the education of persons with special needs in Eastern European countries on the example of Poland, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia. According to the results of their own research, the authors conditionally identified 5 stages in the history of the development of education and, in particular, special education in Eastern European countries. The allocation of five stages is justified by historical facts. The trends towards the development of inclusive education in the countries are identified. The authors have attempted to make a comparative analysis of the training of special teachers to work with people with special needs, for this purpose, the educational programs of Poland, Croatia, and the Czech Republic have been analyzed. The results of the study can be used for the purpose of comparative analysis of the current state of training of special teachers in different countries.