This document discusses the challenges facing special education in the coming years and introduces an upcoming course on the topic. It notes that cultural diversity, community/poverty, and aging will be among the challenges examined. The course will explore these issues through readings, discussion forums, interviews with alumni, and a final conference. Students in the course will analyze how special education is adapting to societal changes and identify areas still in need of improvement. The goal is for students to better understand and address the "colliding worlds" of special education.