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First Permanent Deaf School
In 1817, American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb was established in Hartford. This was the first permanent school for the deaf in the United States and was founded by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet & Laurent Clerc. The school now called the American School for the Deaf operates to this day as a K-12. -
Classification of Autism
Leo Kanner published the first study of early infantile autism in 1943. According to him, this is a neurodevelopmental condition and "these children have an innate inability to form the usual, biologically provided contact with people" from the moment they are born. This study of his has become a classic in the field of clinical psychiatry.
https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/viewpoint/leo-kanners-1943-paper-on-autism/ -
The Arc
Little was known about intellectual disability and its causes in 1950 leading to doctors frequently telling parents that an institution was the best place for their child to be. The parents wanted more for their kids and rather than being locked away in grim institutions, they wanted for their child to enjoy happy lives in the society. The Arc was created as a result of their shared desire to raise their children at home and their refusal to believe that institutionalization was the only choice. -
PARC v. Pennsylvania
The court ruled, a person's right to equal access to education cannot be denied by the state on the grounds that they have an intellectual or developmental delay. PARC had the testimony of 14 families with intellectually impaired children who were unable to enroll them in public schools because of their child's mental disability. This case was one of the first to emphasize that people born with an intellectual disability should have the same access to education as the rest of the population. -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
A school district is required by the Section 504 regulations to offer a "free appropriate public education" (FAPE) to every qualified student with a disability who resides in the district, regardless of the kind or degree of the condition. FAPE is the provision of normal or special education, as well as any necessary aids and services, in order to fulfill each student's unique educational requirements as effectively as those of students without disabilities. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
The United States created a law, Education for All Handicapped Children Act, in 1975 that every child should have free access to a public education, despite their differences. This law made it possible for the federal government to provide additional funding to schools so they could develop special education programs for kids who didn't learn the same way as their classmates and as well one free meal a day for these children. -
1986 reauthorization
The 1986 reauthorization addressed early intervention and required that each state offer support to parents of children with disabilities as soon as possible after birth. Before, a child had to wait until they were three years old to access these services. Allowing for earlier intervention, allowed for children to get the help that they needed at the most crucial time of window of opportunity towards the children. -
The 1990 reauthorization
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act became the new name for the EHA following its reauthorization in 1990. Two new disability classification were introduced: Autism and traumatic brain damage. An individual transition plan must be created as part of a student's individualized education program in order to help in the student's transition to post-secondary life. These program maps the child needs and allows for a detailed explanation of the student participation in the classroom. -
Americans with Disabilities Act
The civil rights statute Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) forbids discrimination against people with disabilities in all aspects of life, including employment education, transportation & all public and private locations that are accessible to the general public. The principal purpose of this statue is to ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities and rights as everyone else. All should have the same and equal opportunities to live a life well lived.
https://rb.gy/jmbav -
1997 Reauthorization
The reauthorization focuses on gaining access to the core curriculum. The states were given the power to include younger children-previously was till age 5- up to the age of nine in the "developmental delay" category. The law also established a procedure for mediating conflicts between parents and schools and local educational authorities (LEAs) and required that this process to be offered.