The History of Special Education

By jcantrell1

  • American School for the Deaf

    Founded in Boston, Massachusetts by William Gallolet, the School for the deaf was the first school provided for disabled children anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.

  • The opening of the Perkins Institution for the Blind

    The Perkins Institution was founded in Boston, Massachusetts. Participants were required to live and learn there, just like a boarding school. This was the first of this type of institution for people with mental disabilities.

  • Law Mandating Compulsory Education

    Rhode Island passed a law mandating compulsory education for all children. Compulsory education is education is which children are required by law to receive and for governments to provide.

  • Columbia Institution

    Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and Blind was allowed to grant college degrees by the U.S. Congress. Columbia was the first college in the world established for people with disabilities.

  • Beattie v. Board of Education

    Expulsions were happening for special needs students due to facial abnormalities and drooling. Although the students mental capacities were fine, teachers and fellow students were nauseated by their physical conditions.

  • Council for Exceptional Children

    The Council for Exceptional Children is the first advocacy group for children with disabilities. The CEC is one of the largest special education advocacy groups. The main objective of this group is to ensure that children with special needs receive FAPE (Free and appropriate public education.)

  • Cuyahoga Council for Retarded Citizens

    This group consisted of five mothers of children with mental retardation who came and protested in Cuyahoga, Ohio regarding their children's exclusion from public schools. A special class was created for the children due to this event, even though it was sponsored by the parents.

  • The Arc- A Leader in Disability Rights

    The Arc formerly know as National Association for Retarded Citizens, is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc believes that all people with intellectual and development disabilities are defined by their own strengths, abilities and inherent value, not by their disability.

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

    Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) was enacted in 1965 that allocated federal funding for primary and secondary school education form the establishment of national curriculum. Providing accountability and also increasing equality in education nationally. The current reauthorization of this bill is the No Child Left Behind Act, which was signed into law in 2001.

  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA)

    The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) required public schools to guarantee a free, appropriate public education to students with disabilities. This included providing free education, special education for children 3-21, supplemental services, due process, zero reject, and least restrictive environment.

  • Handicapped Children's Protection Act

    Ronald Regan signed this act was a law that gave parents of children with disabilities more say in the development of their child's Individual Education Plan (IEP)

  • Americans with Disabilities Act

    President George W. Bush signed this act which promised people with special needs the same rights as everyone else. This includes both work and school. This act stated that people with special needs cannot be discriminated against in schools, the workplace, and everyday society such as public transportation.

  • IDEA

    The Individuals with disabilities Education Act was again signed by President George W. Bush. This law has four sections and 6 pillars which include: FAPE, LRE, IEP, evaluation, parent/student participation, and all procedural safeguards for participants.

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that all children with disabilities are entitled to a free appropriate public education to meet their needs and prepare them for independent living.

  • No Child Left Behind Act

    No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, signed into law by President George W. Bush on Jan.8, 2002, was a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This act supported standard-based education reform based on the premise that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals could improve individual outcomes in education.

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004

    On December 3, 2004, a major reauthorization and revision of the (IDEA) was tabled. IDEA is the primary federal program that authorizes state and local aid for special education and related services for children with disabilities.