Historical Timeline for Students with Exceptionalities

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    Special Education Acts

  • P.A.R.C vs Pennsylvania

    In 1971 P.A.R.C field a complaint against commonwealth of Penn. school system, alleging the lack of educational opportunities concerning 14 students with developmental disabilities.
    May 5th 1972 District judge rules that these students 14th amendment rights were violated. That the school system would no longer adhere to criteria that involved the violation on free public education to student no matter their disability (Forte, 2017).
  • Individuals with Disabilities Act

    On November 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed into law the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), or the EHA. The EHA guaranteed a free, appropriate public education, or FAPE, to each child with a disability in every state and locality across the country (Blanck, 2019) .
  • Honig vs Doe

    Supreme court rules (6-2) that a California school board violated Education for all Handicapped Children Act ( later to become the IDEA) when they suspended student John Doe, for behavior that was related to his disability.
    The ruling lead to the "10 Day Rule" which allows schools to suspend students for up to 10 days without parent or court intervention. Courts also rules a student can not be suspended for inappropriate behavior that is a result of his disability (Forte, 2017).
  • Timothy W. vs Rochester; New Hampshire school district

    Timothy W. appealed to the court under the context that severely disabled students were not receiving free public education due to the severity of their disabilities. In this case it was deemed that such services as OT, AT, PT, SLP, along with daily interactions with peers and engaging in daily living schools was indeed a part of education for children with disabilities ( Forte, 2017).
  • American with Disabilities Act

    The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public (Blanck, 2019).