The History of Special Education

By Tfowles
  • Beginning development of Special Education

    Beginning development of Special Education
    In the early 1800s, some physicians, clergymen, and leaders of social change sought to change or diminish completely the neglectful and abusive treatment of people with disabilities. At this time, people with disabilities were institutionalized, confined in jails, or sent to almshouses. The physicians and social leaders advocated for special needs people to be treated in residential facilities in rural communities. They pushed the government for more funds for more specialized institutions.
  • The Child Study Movement

    The Child Study Movement
    In the late nineteenth century the government established foster homes and juvenile court systems for children. After this the child study movement became utilized due to the efforts of G. Stanley Hall. He is considered the founder of child psychology. Hall and other researchers started to study child development and its relation to education. By doing this child psychology was established in public education.
  • The Bradley Home

    The Bradley Home
    The Bradley Home was the first psychiatric hospital for children in the United States. This hospital, located in Rhode Island, practiced psychodynamic treatment. This type of treatment created ideas for the classification and diagnosis of disabilities.
  • The start of the field of Special Education

    The start of the field of Special Education
    At the University of Illinois, the first institution for research on exceptional children opened. This became the focus point of special education eventually expanding its research. During this time, educators learned more about "the slow learner," what eventually was labeled as learning disabled.
  • Brown vs. Board of Education

    Brown vs. Board of Education
    During this case, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unlawful to discriminate against a group of people. This was specific towards race; however, it opened up the doors for equality and diversity within the public school system. Parents of children with disabilities then came forward to advocate that their children were not being given an equal and fair education.
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    Elementary and Secondary Education Act
    President Lyndon B. Johnson signed this law to emphasize his passion for the "war on poverty." This law was created to ensure that families from low-income or families that had children with disabilities would still have access to a quality education. This act has been one of the biggest parts of federal legislation affecting education, even today.
  • The Education for All Handicapped Children Act

    The Education for All Handicapped Children Act
    This law required that all public schools accepting federal funds provide equal access to education and one free meal a day to children with physical and mental disabilities. This act also initiated parents' ability to dispute educational acts through administrative procedures. Public schools were required to evaluate children with disabilities and include parents in the evaluation process.
  • Individuals with Disabilites Education Act (IDEA)

    Individuals with Disabilites Education Act (IDEA)
    IDEA was passed in 1990 to ensure that students with a disability are provided with a free appropriate public education (FAPE). This act further ensures that these students receive an education tailored to their needs, including an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), extra assistance, and early intervention. This act started a big change in special education and continued to reform to adhere to the needs of people with disabilities.
  • No Child Left Behind

    No Child Left Behind
    No Child Left Behind Law was created to close the achievement gap between impoverished and minority students. This law helped create equal education opportunities for low-income families and minority families. Holding teachers and schools more accountable for equal education, testing, and documentation.
  • Every Student Succeeds Act

    Every Student Succeeds Act
    Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced No Child Left Behind, modifying the prior law. ESSA narrowed down the federal government's role in education, shifting accountability provisions from the federal to the state level. This law gives the states and districts more control over the standards to which students are held.