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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. -
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. -
Braille Code
Louis Braille publishes the Braille code -
First Teacher Training Program
The first teacher training program opens in Massachusetts. -
Massachusettes School for Idiotic and Feeble Minded Children
Samuel Gridley Howe establishes the Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble Minded Children. -
First public school classes for children with hearing impairments open in Boston
First public school classes for children with hearing impairments open in Boston. -
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
The 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. -
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
An organization that later would become the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is founded in New York City. -
Seeing Eye Dogs
Seeing Eye dogs for the blind are introduced in the United States. -
First Compulsory Law
First Compulsory law for testing the hearing of school-age children are enacted in New York. -
Association for Retarded Children (ARC)
Association for Retarded Children (ARC) is founded (known today as the Association for Retarded Citizens, or simply the Arc). -
Brown vs Board of Education
The Brown decision ruled that segregation within public schools was illegal, thereby ending as a matter of law segregation based on race. -
Association for Children with Learning Disabilities
Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (forerunner to Learning Disabilities Association of America) is organized. -
Wolf Wolfensberger
Wolf Wolfensberger introduces the concept of normalization. -
P.A.R.C v. Pennsylvania
Attorney Gilhool, on behalf of 14 children with developmental disabilities, argued that under PA state law, these children were denied access to public education based on these four state sections. The plaintiffs argued that, under Brown, their rights were violated under the equal protection clause and due process clause of the 14th Amendment. -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
As the P.A.R.C. case was being decided in Pennsylvania, the Mills case was being decided in the District of Columbia. Mills expanded the ruling of P.A.R.C. beyond children with developmental disabilities to children with behavioral, mental, hyperactive and emotional disabilities from being denied placement in a public education. -
Public Law 93-112
Public Law 93-112, the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, is enacted; Section 504 prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142)
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) is passed; landmark legislation ensures, among other provisions, a free and appropriate public education for all children with disabilities. -
Board of Education v. Rowley
In Rowley, the Court further elaborated on what is deemed appropriate under FAPE. Amy Rowley was a deaf child that performed better than the typical child in her mainstream classroom and was easily advancing from grade to grade in LRE with the use of a FM hearing aid. -
Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 (PL 99-457)
Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986 (PL 99-457) is enacted; mandates a special education for pre-schoolers with disabilities and incentives for providing early intervention services to infants and toddlers, -
Honig v. Doe
The Honig decision is a landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court dealt with the issue of expelling a disabled child based on actions arising out of that child’s disability. In Honig, the Court ruled that a school district may not unilaterally exclude or expel a disabled child from the classroom setting for dangerous or disruptive conduct growing out of their disabilities. -
Timothy W. v. Rochester, New Hampshire, School District
The last landmark case in the context is special education law is the Timothy W. case. In this case, the plaintiff-appellant Timothy W appealed an order from the district court that held that a child that is profoundly handicapped is not eligible for special education if he cannot benefit from such education. -
Americans with DIsabilites Act (PL 101-336)
Americans with Disabilities Act (PL 101-336) becomes law; prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. -
PL 10-476
PL 10-476, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (commonly known as IDEA) is passed; among other provisions, emphasizes transition planning for adolescents with disabilities. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (PL 105-117)
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (PL 105-117) is authorized, 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
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 in state and district-wide assessments. Regular Education Teachers are to be included on the IEP team. -
EDUCATE-ABLE: A History of Educating Children With Disabilities in America
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Change in Terminology
Rosa’s Law changes references to “mental retardation” in Federal law to “intellectual disability” or “intellectual disabilities.”