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American School for the Deaf
Founded in 1817 by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the American School for the Deaf is the oldest school in America for deaf children. This school was used as a model institution for many other schools for the deaf that were opening around this time period. In order to find teachers for the school Gallaudet traveled to Europe where the methods for teaching the deaf were more advanced. He eventually found a man named Laurent Clerc and brought him back with him as the first teacher for the school. -
Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children was founded in 1922 by Elizabeth Farrell. The CEC is the leading professional organization that works to help children with exceptionalities. They strive to improve the educational outcome for students that have disabilities. They also help advocate for reasonable government policies and help to make sure that educators will be competent professionals by providing them with continual professional development and setting professional standards. -
Learning Disabilities Association of America
Founded in 1963 by parents and other professionals, the LDA or Learning Disabilities Association of America is an organization that provides resources related to learning disabilities. They aim to promote prevention, foster research in best practices, encourage identification, support intervention and protect rights. They hope that eventually we will live in a world where learning disabilities are globally understood and hope that all individuals are accepted.
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Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
In 1971, thirteen families with children that had mental disabilities came together to claim that their children were entitled to a free public education even though they were previously denied this right. The verdict of this case stated that it was in fact unconstitutional to deny them a free education. It also mandated that children aged six to twenty-one must receive the same quality of education and training as the other “regular” students. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
The Education for All handicapped Children Act required states to provide special ed students aged five to eighteen with a free and appropriate public education. The free and appropriate public education has to be in a least-restrictive environment and has to be based on individualized education plans (IEP). The EAHCA also guarantees that decisions about services for students with disabilities are fair and appropriate and helps to provide funds for the education of students with disabilities. -
Americans With Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act or the ADA is a civil rights law that was passed in 1990. This act aims to prohibit discrimination against students with disabilities and makes sure that these students have the same rights and opportunities as other students. The ADA guarantees this by providing equal opportunities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Public Law 101-476)
In 1990 IDEA replaced EAHCA. IDEA aims to provide students with disabilities with a free public education in the least restrictive environment possible. All learning opportunities for special education students must be equal to students that don’t have disabilities. Transportation for special ed students must also be provided even if they live outside of the school district. IDEA also extended special education services to include social work, assistive technology, and rehabilitation services. -
Cedar Rapids v. Garret F. Garret
Garret F a student who was left paralyzed from the neck down after he was in an accident and required the assistance of a nurse while he was in school due to the fact that he was on a ventilator. The case concluded that students must be provided with the services they need to attend school at no extra cost to the parents. The school does not have to cover the cost of medical services but is required to cover the cost of related services in order to help keep the child in school. -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2002
The No Child Left Behind Act or NCLB was created to ensure that all children are equally provided with a high-quality education. The goals of the NCLB are to give all students proper teachers, to help close all achievement gaps and to ensure all students reach proficiency. This act also requires all students to be tested in math and reading from grades three to eight and schools need to publicly report the test scores to the state.
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004
A revision of IDEA in order to more closely align with NCLB. This revision raised standards for special education licensure and revised the requirements for evaluating children with learning disabilities. It also adopted policies created to prevent the disproportionate representation of students in special education by race and ethnicity as well as increased funds to offer intervention services to students who do not need special education or related services.
