In the United States, K-12 special education students are increasingly enrolling in online schools in hopes of improved opportunities and outcomes. In this study, researchers interviewed five special education students enrolled in a targeted online school along with their parents to better understand their motivations for enrolling and their experiences of what worked for them in the unique setting. Students and parents explained how their prior schools had not worked for them and how the online school better met their needs for self-determination, mattering, differentiation, and positive socialization. Results are intended to inform policymakers and stakeholders in online schools to provide the best learning opportunities for special education students.