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History of Special Education
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The American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Dead and Dumb
The American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Dead and Dumb, the first special education school, was opened by Thomas Hopkins Hartford, Connecticut, servicing both primary and secondary education special education. They were the first to receive aid from the federal government. This pivotal movement allowed the Principal, Gallaudet to develop Gallaudet University in 1830. The students enrolled in the university were taught in American Sign Language. -
Brown v Topeka Board of Education
An attorney, and later a Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, challenged the Plesssy ruling on behalf of the NAACP. The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka became a landmark Supreme Court case. The Supreme Court Justices ruled unanimously that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional, overruling the Plessy decision. The ruling claimed that separate was not equal opening the doors for not only African-American students, but for special education also. -
Segregated education for deaf black children
North Carolina was the first state to institute segregated education for deaf black children. The state of Maryland followed in 1872. Students attending the school were initially from Maryland, but after the Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), students from neighboring states, attended. Recruitment was through word-of-mouth and placed a burden on parents. Providing supplies and travel expenses were difficult for parents, along with the loss of these children at home contributing to the family income. -
Rhode Island opened the first public special education class
During this period, an increasing number of special education students began enrolling in public schools. Students with learning disabilities were often labeled as “feebleminded.” Teachers did not want these students in their classes. They felt that these students could not benefit from an education. As a result, Rhode Island opened the first public special education class in the US in 1896. In the quest to find strategies and techniques to teach these students, institutions were erected. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson had a significant impact on both education for African-American and special education. The US Supreme Court ruled that the states could continue the separate, but equal, concept. The case was initiated by an African-American passenger, named Plessy, who refused to ride in the car for “blacks only.” The ruling prevailed that racially segregated public facilities were legal, so long as the facilities for blacks and whites were equal. -
ARC formed
The National Association for Retarded Children became known as the National Association for Retarded Citizens(1973). It was renamed to its present name, Association for Retarded Citizens. The association was established by parents to promote programming for the special needs of their children, which also had a significant impact on several laws pertaining to intellectual and developmental disabilities. Advocacy continues for the medical and educational needs of students with mental disabilities. -
PARC v. Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) sued Pennsylvania for denying access to public schools & public education for children who had not “attained a mental age of 5 years.” This was one of the first laws to challenge the exclusion of students with mental disabilities. This ruling provided for FAPE, a free appropriate public education. This ruling was a catalyst for other cases, such as Mills vs. Board of Education of DC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtFmp3XduaQ -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability for any agency or program that receives federal funding. This includes employment and federal contracts. This Act required that all public schools provide a free appropriate public education if a student has a documented disability and the impairment substantially limits a major life functioning, such as learning. Section 504 defines school-aged children and their disabilities. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Congress enacted EHCA, Public Law 94-142. This law, reauthorized as IDEA in 2004, was passed to provide special education and related services to students with disabilities, aged 3 to 21. This law provided 6 principles: Child Find, appropriate evaluations, FAPE, LRE, procedural safeguards and encourages parent participation. After identification, evaluation and eligibility, an Individual Education Program (IEP) developed to meet the individual needs to the student with a disability. -
No Child Left Behind Act
This reform Act provided that students with disabilities be included in the accountability of the schools’ progress and grade. It also served as map for the reauthorization of ESEA by the Obama Administration. Student transfers/tutoring if their school is low performing; highly qualified teachers, research-based instruction and timely information to parents about their child’s progress are included. http://www.fldoe.org/policy/edu-laws-legislation/no-child-left-behind/
