Belgian pioneer in the education (special education) of children, including those with physical disabilities. Through his work as a physician, Decroly became involved in a school for disabled children and consequently became interested in education. One outcome of this interest was his establishment in 1901 of the Institute for Abnormal Children in Uccle, Belg. Decroly credited the school's homelike atmosphere with helping students achieve better and more-consistent educational results than those typically achieved by nonhandicapped students in regular schools. Successes there prompted Decroly to apply his methods to the education of nonhandicapped children, and to this end he opened the École de l'Ermitage in Brussels in 1907.

Viewing the classroom as a workshop, Decroly based his curriculum on an analysis of children's needs organized within the four categories of food, shelter, defense, and work. One's needs formed the centre of a year's study, and, within the framework of their needs, children were encouraged to develop their individual interests. His program became known as the Decroly method.