Special Education Inclusion Time Line

By tward2

  • Early 1800s "Wild Boy"

    One of the earliest recordings of educating a child with behavioral difficulties is in the early 1800s when physician Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard, tamed the "Wild Boy" of Averyron, France.

  • American Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb

    Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet becomes principal of the American Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb, the first residential school in the U.S.

  • New England Asylum for the Blind

    Samuel Gridley Howe establishes the New Endgland Asylum for the Blind

  • Braille Code

    In 1834, Louis Braille publishes the Braille code

  • First Teacher Training Program

    In 1839, the first teacher training program opens in Massachusetts

  • Massachusettes School for Idiotic and Feeble Minded Children

    Samuel Gridley Howe establishes the Massachusettes School for Idiotic and Feeble Minded Children

  • First public school class for children with hearing impairments open in Boston, Ma

    First public school class for children with hearing impairments open in Boston, Ma

  • First Professional Association

    Edouard Seguin helps to organize the first professional association concerned with disabilities (mental retardation), predecessor to today American Association on Mental Retardation

  • National Education Association establishes a section for teachers of children with disabilities

    National Education Association establishes a section for teachers of children with disabilities

  • Elizabeth Farrel

    Elizabeth Farrel, later to become the first president of the Council for Exceptional Children, begins a program for "backwards" or "slow learning" children in New York City

  • Training Programs

    The Vineland Training School in New Jersey inaugurates training programs for teachers of students with mental retardation.

  • Standford-Binet Scale of Intelligence

    Louis Terman publishes the Standford-Binet Scale of Intelligence

  • Training program for Gifted

    Teachers College, Columbia University, begins training program for teachers of pupils who are gifted.

  • Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

    Organization that later would become the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is founded in New York

  • Seeing Eye Dogs

    Seeing Eye dog for the blind are introduced in the United States

  • First Compulsory Law

    First Compulsory law for testing the hearing of school-age children is enacted in New York

  • United Cerebral Palsy (UCP)

    UCP association is founded

  • Association for Retarded Children (ARC)

    Association for Retarded Children (ARC) is founded (known today as the Association for Retarded Citizens, or simply the Arc)

  • National Association for Gifted

    National Association for Gifted is founded

  • The Beginning of Special Education

    President John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation and the panel's recommendations included federal aid to states.

  • Association for Children with Learning Disabilities

    Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (forerunner to Learning Disabilities Association of America) is organized

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and is seen by advocacy groups as expanding access to public education for children with disabilities.

  • Wolf Wolfensberger

    Wolf Wolfensberger introduces the concept of normalization, initially coined by Begt Nirge of Sweden, to the United States

  • Public Law 93-112

    Public 93-112, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is enacted; Section 504 prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities

  • EHA

    Education for All Handicapped Act (EHA) is passed; landmark legislation ensures, among other provisions, a free and appropriate public education for all children with disabilities

  • Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986

    Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 is enacted; mandates a special education for pre-schoolers with disabilities and incentives for providing early intervention servies to infants and toddlers

  • IDEA PL 10-476

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (commonly known as IDEA) is passed; among other provisions, emphasizes transition planning for adoescents with disabilities

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (PL 101-336)

    Americans with Disabilites Act becomes law; prohibits discrimation on the basis of disability

  • IDEA Reauthorized

    IDEA is reauthorized, providing a major retooling and expansion of services for students with disabilities and their families

  • No Child Left Behind

    All students including those with disabilities should be proficient in math and reading by the year 2014

  • American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

    American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Barack Obama, this campaign promises "funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" and 12.2 billion dollars in additional funds

  • IDEA Reauthorized

    Students with disabilities are now required to be included on state and district-wide assessments. Regular Education Teachers are to be included on the IEP team