-
The Father of Special Education
Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard is often referred to as the father of special education and the creator of what we refer to today as an IEP for his work with Victor, the Wild Boy of Aveyron.
https://www.sutori.com/en/story/special-education-a-brief-history--5njJg7qVExCzj8nNp4bKspS3 -
American School for the Deaf
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc established the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut, the first permanent school for the deaf in the United States.
https://gallaudet.edu/museum/history/thomas-hopkins-gallaudet-meets-alice-cogswell/ -
Braille
Louis Braille invents the Braille system, allowing blind students to read and write.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Braille-writing-system -
Perkins School for the Blind
Samuel Gridley Howe opens the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts.
https://www.perkins.org/our-history/ -
Elwyn
Elwyn was one of the first American schools for children with intellectual disabilities, founded in 1852 as the Pennsylvania Training School for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Children. https://hsp.org/blogs/archival-adventures-in-small-repositories/elwyn-and-the-history-of-intellectual-disability -
Oral Schools for the Deaf
The first oral schools for the deaf are established. These schools emphasize teaching deaf students to speak and read lips rather than use sign language. A few of these schools include Clarke Institution in Northampton, Massachusetts, and McCowen Oral School in Chicago.
https://gallaudet.edu/museum/exhibits/history-through-deaf-eyes/language-and-identity/oral-schools-form-on-the-principle-of-pure-oralism/#:~:text=In%201867%2C%20two%20new%20schools,for%20Oral%20Education)%20in%20Northampton%2C -
Special Education Classes
Elizabeth Farrell credited for the first class for disabled students was a New York City public school teacher put in charge of a group of children described as “misfits.” They were students “unable to keep up with” their grades at school. Educating special needs children to their highest level was her mission in life.
https://kappanonline.org/segregation-strengths-special-education-wehmeyer/#:~:text=The%20first%20recorded%20public%20school,programs%2C%20almost%20all%20of%20them -
Intelligence Testing
Intelligence testing has become popular during this time. Tests like the Binet-Simon Scale are used to identify students with intellectual disabilities. In 1911, Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon, created the first intelligence test.
https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/music-and-intelligence-can-music-make-you-smarter/0/steps/265962 -
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) was organized by a group of educators attending the summer session at Teachers College, Columbia University.
https://exceptionalchildren.org/about-us#:~:text=The%20Council%20for%20Exceptional%20Children%20(CEC)%20was%20organized%20by%20a,first%20President%20from%201922%2D1926. -
Brown Versus Board of Education
Brown vs. Board of Education sets a legal precedent for equal access to education. However, it does not specifically address students with disabilities but opens the door for parents with disabled students to advocate for a proper education.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability.
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/civil-rights-center/statutes/section-504-rehabilitation-act-of-1973 -
Education for all Handicapped Children Act 1975
Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act to improve educational services in local public schools for children with mental, physical, emotional, and learning handicaps require that free appropriate public education (FAPE) be available for all handicapped children.
https://www.gao.gov/products/113316#:~:text=Amendments%20to%20the%20Education%20of,available%20for%20all%20handicapped%20children. -
Regular Education Initiative (REI)
Madeleine C. Will proposed the Regular Education Initiative (REI) that advocates for including more students with disabilities in regular classes and with students without disabilities.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/001440298605200502 -
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including education.
https://adata.org/learn-about-ada -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
In 1997, Congress amended the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 by replacing it with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
https://www.theclassroom.com/similarities-differences-between-idea-ideia-8397136.html -
No Child Left Behind
It was signed into law by President George W. Bush. It was the main law for K–12 general education in the United States from 2002–2015. The law held schools accountable for how kids learned and achieved. The law was controversial because it penalized schools that didn't show improvement.
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/no-child-left-behind-nclb-what-you-need-to-know -
IDEIA
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) is passed in 2004. It aligns IDEA with the No Child Left Behind Act and emphasizes response to intervention. Changes include, IEP to be done annually adding appropriate measurable postsecondary goals & transition assessments.
https://www.theclassroom.com/similarities-differences-between-idea-ideia-8397136.html -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaces No Child Left Behind. Signed into law by President Obama. It allows for more flexibility in how schools support students with disabilities.
https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn