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Itard worked with the "Wild Boy of Aveyron"
French physician, Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard worked with Victor, a 12yr old who was deaf, mute and had an intellectual disability and introduced the idea that children with significant needs could benefit from attention and instruction. -
Connecticut Asylum
Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons opened in Hartford, CT. -
Perkins Institute for the Blind
Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe opened the Perkins Institute for the Blind. -
Braille code
Braille code is first published. -
Institute for feeble minded youth
Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe established a school for "ten idiotic" and feeble minded youth. -
Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University(originally named National Deaf Mute College), the first federally chartered college for the blind, was established. -
Seguin's Physiological Method
French born American psychiatrist, Edouard Seguin, created a method that included a structured learning environment emphasizing developing the senses, engaging in physical activity and learning basic academic skills. He stressed positive impact of rewards and negative impact of punishment. -
First Public School Special Class
The first public school special class was established in Cleveland, Ohio but was soon disbanded. -
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell coined the term "special education". -
Second Public School Special Education Class
Shortly after the opening of the first special class in Cleveland, another opened in Providence, RI. Following this, others opened in New York, Chicago, Boston and Philidelphia. -
College Training for Special Education Teachers
Training for Special Education teachers begins at the college level. -
Stanford Binet IQ Test
Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon create the intelligence test that is the basis for IQ testing today. Professionals at the time thought this could be a way to determine level of ability. -
Segregated Classrooms in Public Schools Established
When compulsory education became established, it became apparent that some children weren't "normal". Segregated classrooms in the public schools were established. -
The Term Mentally Retarded Introduced
The terms mentally retarded and gifted are introduced and discussed in the literature. -
Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children(CEC) was established by a group of students who were meeting to discuss ways to help and educate "special children". -
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Eugenics Movement
During the Industrial Revolution and beyond, the eugenics movement emerged in which disabled adults were sterilized to prevent them from "diluting" the superior American race. This persisted in some states into the 1970s. -
Connecticut Special Education Association Created "ungraded" Classrooms
Students at this time were identified by IQ tests and other measures. They were grouped and taught in ungraded classrooms with the thought that they could not succeed in typical classrooms. -
Characteristics of Autism Identified
Dr. Leo Kanner describes characteristics of children with what he called "disturbances of affective contact". -
Hans Asperger Identifies Children with Asperger Syndrome
Dr. Hans Asperger identifies characteristics of children with common issues with what was later called Asperger syndrome. -
Brown v. Board of Education
Modern civil rights movement in education that said "separate cannot be equal". This movement brought about questions surrounding the ability of children with disabilities taught in separate classrooms to get an appropriate education. -
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Efficacy Studies
A series of studies comparing achievement and social adjustment of students with intellectual disabilities separated into special classes with students with similar abilities in general education settings. Results suggested that students in general education settings had better academic achievement. -
Learning Disabilities
Dr. Samuel Kirk, psychologist and educator, introduces the term "learning disabilities". -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
First federal law to directly address the education of students with disabilities was passed. It provided funding to states to create programs for students with disabilities. -
Christmas in Purgatory
Christmas in Purgatory, by Blatt and Kaplan, was a photographic expose of institutional life. It received much attention and led to significant changes in policy and law. -
Title VI
Title VI was added to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide funds for best practices for special education. -
Lloyd Dunn Essay
Researcher Lloyd Dunn wrote an essay, "Special Education for the Mildly Retarded: Is Much of It Justifiable?" He encouraged educators to educate students with disabilities with their peers. -
Diana v. State Board of Education of California
The public school system was ordered to perform IQ testing to Spanish-speaking children in their native language. -
Mills v. Board of Education
A class action lawsuit involving 18,000 students in Washington, D.C. which involved a school district being order to educate ALL students, including those with disabilities. -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Parents won a guarantee that their children with disabilities had a right to free public education geared toward their needs. -
"The Six Hour Retarded Child"
In order to point out that some children were considered disabled while at school but not at home and in their neighborhoods, Mercer coined the phrase "the six hour retarded child". This applied to many non English speaking children. -
Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was the first civil rights law for persons with disabilities. It discourages discrimination against persons with disabilities in any federally funded program. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
This law increased federal special education funding and charged states with the task of creating full educational opportunities for students with disabilities. -
Education of the Handicapped Act
Amendments to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1974. These are laws that are still in place today that require states to follow the law in order to receive funding. -
Expansion of ESEA of 1965
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was expanded to include infants and young children with disabilities. -
IDEA
The Education for All Handicapped Children's Act was amended and renamed Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) -
Americans with Disabilities Act
Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990, offering numerous regulation and protections for persons with disabilities. -
No Child Left Behind
This law provided Title I funding for disadvantaged children and was signed by President George W. Bush. -
Highly Qualified Special Education Teachers
IDEA was reauthorized with increased standards for quality instruction for students with disabilities, encouraged parental involvement and defined "highly qualified" for Special Education teachers. -
Rosa's Law
Federal language usage was changed by President Barack Obama from "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability". -
Today's Special Education Class
Each person involved in Special Education is an integral part of shaping its future. Arthur Brantley teaches Special Education at Waycross Middle School.
