History of Special Education

Founding of American School for the Deaf

1817

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc founded the first permanent school for the deaf in North America. Gallaudet, an American, had to travel to Europe to learn about the education of deaf individuals. With these experiences, he founded the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut.

Compulsory Education

1918

By this year, all 50 states had laws making school attendance compulsory. This is significant because it made it the state's duty to educate the populace. Unfortunately, these provisions didn't extend to children with disabilities.

Institute for Research on Exceptional Children

1952

The University of Illinois established the first institution for research on exceptional children. Below is a link for a video about Samuel Kirk who was the driving force behind the institute. Kirk coined the term "learning disabilities."
This YouTube video describes Samuel Kirk's contributions to special education

Brown Vs. Board of Education

1954

This civil rights court decision made the segregation of students in public schools based on race unconstitutional. Advocates for students with disabilities now had ground to stand on when defending their argument that children with disabilities should also be educated. This decision was a big win for students' rights.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

1965

President Lyndon Johnson sign the first law that authorizes federal funds for primary and secondary education. This law marks the federal government's entry into public education. It set out to improve educational opportunities to disadvantaged children and provided funds specifically for the education of children with disabilities.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

1973

This law ensured that any organization receiving federal funds (this includes public schools) can not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. Accommodations are now required to ensure equal opportunity. This also prohibits exclusion from participation in programs based solely on disability. Parents of individuals with disabilities now begin to advocate for the education of their children under Section 504.

Education for All Handicapped Children

1975

This law prohibited that children with disabilities be excluded from public school. The concept of Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is extended to students with disabilities. Students are provided with appropriate services, screening, and monitoring. This law also mandated the Individualized Education Program.

Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)

1990

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act is reauthorized and expanded as IDEA. A transition plan must now be included to IEP's to help secondary students transition to adult life. Autism and traumatic brain injury is added as a disability category.

No Child Left Behind Act

2001

This reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This law emphasizes a standards-based curriculum. Accountability is maintained through the use of standardized testing. Children with disabilities were also included in the testing giving them representation.
Click here to learn more about No Child Left Behind

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

2015

This is another law that reauthorizes and changes the name of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. ESSA is an update to No Child Left Behind because it targets high need areas in public education. ESSA helps students with disabilities by including their assessment scores when developing accountability plans, developing more effective teachers, and increasing learner access to effective instructional practices.