History of Special Education

  • ACLD

    The Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (ACLD) was founded, later converted to the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
  • ESEA

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 sought to close gaps between affluent and low income area schools, among many other things, to fund and promote equal access to education, and establish higher standards for public education
  • Children with Specific Learning Disabilities Act

    The Children with Specific Learning Disabilities Act of 1969 created a foundation for learning disabilities accross Federal law.
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973

    The Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was created to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disabilities.
  • EAHCA

    The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 sought to help public schools provide an equitable educational experience for special education students by providing funding. This required schools to create plans for special education students through evaluations
  • IDEA

    The Education of All Handicapped Children Act was renamed to the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" or IDEA
  • No Child Left Behind Act

    The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
  • IDEIA

    IDEA was amended by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA) to provide more clarity and detail on special education services, including evaluations and discipline, and the inclusion of general educators on IEP teams.
  • Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act

    Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act was signed in 2008, and went into effect in 2009
  • ARRA

    The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 awarded $100 billion in funding for public education, which included $12.2 billion for IDEA.
  • IDEA Reauthorization

    The IDEA was reauthorized, including provisions in part C, including Individualized Family Service Plans.