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The History of Special Education

By jswstafford

  • The Work of Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard

    French physician Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard worked with Victor, a deaf and mute twelve year old boy, proving that children with significant needs can benefit from instruction and are worthy of attention.

  • Connecticut Asylum

    The Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Intervention of Deaf and Dumb Persons opened in Hartford, Connecticut.

  • First Residential Deaf School

    The first residential school for the deaf was established.

  • First Residential Blind School

    The First residential school for the blind was established.

  • Perkins Institution for the Blind

    The Perkins Institution for the Blind was opened by Samuel Gridley Howe.

  • Braille

    The Braille code was first published.

  • Howe's Experimental School

    Samuel Gridley Howe established an experimental school for feebleminded youth.

  • American Printing House for the Blind

    The American Printing House for the Blind was established.

  • National Deaf Mute College

    The National Deaf Mute College was established and later renamed to Gallaudet University.

  • The Work of Edouard Seguin

    Edouard Seguin's method demonstrated how individuals with disabilities could become productive members of society. He also brought key concepts to the study of educating children with special needs, particularly the importance of positive reinforcement, structured environments, and clear instructions.

  • Establishment of the First Public School Special Class

    The first public school special class was established in Cleveland, Ohio.

  • Formal Training of Teachers for Blind Students

    Formal training for teachers of blind students began at Columbia University.

  • Introduction of Term "Special Education"

    Alexander Graham Bell introduced the term "special education".

  • Record of Another Public School Special Class

    Another public school special class was reported in Providence, Rhode Island. (By the turn of the century, others were notably established in large cities, such as Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.)

  • Special Education College Courses

    College-level training of teachers for students with intellectual disabilities began.

  • Publishing of First IQ Test

    Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon published their intelligence test, the basis for modern IQ testing.

  • Segregated Classes Offered For SpEd Students

    Segregated classes in the public schools were established as viable alternatives to instructing children with disabilities.

  • Use of Term "Emotional Disturbance"

    The term "emotional disturbance" came into use.

  • Introduction of the Terms "Mentally Retarded" and "Gifted"

    The term "mentally retarded" was introduced; the term "gifted" appeared in professional literature.

  • Council for Exceptional Children

    The Council for Exceptional Children was founded.

  • Identification of Autistic Characteristics

    Leo Kanner identified the characteristics of children with autism.

  • Identification of Asperger Syndrome

    Dr. Hans Asperger identified children with characteristics that later would come to be called Asperger syndrome.

  • Opening of Willowbrook State School

    The Willowbrook State School in New York opened as a facility for children with intellectual disabilities. After medical scandals and an expose' about its horrible conditions, it was closed in 1987.

  • Ruling from Brown v. BOE

    The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Given its "separate cannot be equal" ruling, some professionals began questioning whether separate classes provided students with disabilities with an appropriate education.

  • Beginning of Special Olympics

    The concept of Special Olympics was begun in 1962 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

  • Introduction of the Term "Learning Disabilities"

    Samuel A. Kirk introduced the term "learning disabilities".

  • Introduction of ESEA of 1965

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was the first federal law directly addressing the education of students with disabilities and providing funds to create and improve programs and services for these students.

  • Publishing of Christmas in Purgatory

    B. Blatt and F. Kaplan published Christmas in Purgatory, a photographic expose' of life in institutions for those with intellectual disabilities. The widespread publicity it received led to significant changes in law and policy.

  • Title VI Added to the ESEA of 1965

    Congress provided funding to disseminate best practices for special education by adding Title VI to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

  • Challenge from Lloyd Dunn

    Lloyd Dunn wrote an essay questioning whether separate classes could provide an adequate education for students with disabilities and challenged teachers to use technology and research to determine effective teaching methods to use for all students.

  • Ruling from Diana v. State BOE in CA

    In Diana v. State Board of Education of California, it was ruled that students would be tested in their native language.

  • Ruling from PARC

    The ruling from Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania determined that students with disabilities could not be denied access to public schools and were entitled to a free public education tailored to their needs.

  • Ruling from Mills v. BOE

    In Mills v. Board of Education, it was ruled that all students in the Washington, D.C. district would be educated, including those with disabilities. Specific procedures to determine eligibility and resolve conflicts between educators and parents were also clarified.

  • Ruling from Larry P. v. Riles

    In Larry P. v. Riles, the court ruled that schools had to ensure that tests administered to students did not discriminate based on race.

  • Introduction of "Six-hour Retarded Child" Phrase

    Dr. Jane R. Mercer coined the phrase, "the six-hour retarded child", which referred to students deemed intellectually disabled in their school but not their community, probably due to their nondominant races/cultures and/or native language.

  • Enactment of EHA

    The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was enacted to increase federal special education funding and charge states with the task of creating full educational opportunities for students with disabilities.

  • Enactment of EAHCA amendments

    P.L. 94-142 (amendments to the 1974 Education for All Handicapped Children Act) was enacted.

  • Amendment of the EHA

    The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was amended and became the basis for all subsequent special education practice, mandating all states follow the law in order to receive federal funding.

  • Ruling from BOE v. Rowley About FAPE

    The Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley defined what is meant by Free Appropriate Public Education.

  • Ruling from Irving v. Tatro About Related Services

    The Irving Independent School District v. Tatro court case legally defined related services for students with disabilities.

  • Expansion of SpED Services

    Special Education was expanded to include services to infants and young children.

  • Proposal of REI

    Madeline Will, then Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitation in the United States Department of Education, proposed a regular education initiative, urging general education and special education teachers to work together to educate all students.

  • Ruling from Honig v. Doe

    The ruling from Honig v. Doe legally established that schools must abide by the stay-put provision, students cannot be excluded unilaterally for misbehavior related to their disability, and the exclusion of students from their school for over 10 days constitutes a change of placement.

  • Enactment of ADA

    The Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted.

  • EAHCA Amended and Renamed IDEA

    The Education for All Handicaped Children Act was amended and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

  • EHA renamed IDEA

    The Education of the Handicapped Act was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by which it is currently known. It also clarified supports students needed to transition from high school to postschool educational or vocational options.

  • Protection from ADA

    The most comprehensive legislation protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities, regardless of age, was passed, as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

  • Provisions added to IDEA

    The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was amended, adding provisions related to transition services, participation by general education teachers, and discipline.

  • Reauthorization of IDEA

    In 1997, the IDEA was once again reauthorized with several significant additions made relative to addressing discipline for students with disabilities, expanding parent participation, and clarifying the roles of general education teachers in educating students with disabilities.

  • Ruling from Cedar Rapids v. Garrett F.

    The ruling from Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garrett F. legally determined that health services necessary for a qualified child with a disability by the IEP team must be provided as long as a nonphysician can perform the services.

  • No Child Left Behind Act Requirements

    The No Child Left Behind Act increased accountability for outcomes for all students and required that students with disabilities be taught by highly qualified teachers.

  • Reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

    The Reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act raised standards for quality instruction for students with disabilities, elaborated on parent involvement and discipline, and defined highly qualified for special education teachers.

  • Most Recent Reauthorization of IDEA

    The most recent reauthorization of IDEA included provisions added to ensure that IDEA is consistent with other federal general education laws and strategies are in place to resolve disputes with parents.

  • Ruling from Schaffer v. Weast

    The ruling from Schaffer v. Weast legally declared parents have the burden of proof to prove why proposed instructional plans are deemed inadequate.

  • Ruling from Winkelman v. Parma City

    The ruling from Winkelman v. Parma City School District legally declared parents have the right to pursue their case in federal court without the representation of an attorney, due to IDEA.

  • Amendment of ADA

    The Americans with Disabilities Act was amended and expanded to apply to both public and private sectors. In many (but not all) ways it has replaced Section 504.

  • Ruling from Forest Grove v. T. A.

    The ruling from Forest Grove School District v. T. A. legally declared parents are entitled to be reimbursed for private school tuition, even when the child has never received special education services from a public school.

  • Rosa's Law

    President Obama signed Rosa's Law, which changed federal language usage from "mental retardation" to "intellectual disability".

  • NC Compensation for Forced Sterilization

    In 2012, North Carolina passed legislation to compensate thousands of individuals or their families, who were involuntarily sterilized between 1933 and 1977.