-
1817
Connecticut Asylum for education and instruction of Deaf & Dumb Persons open in Hartford,Connecticut. -
1832
Perkins Institution for Blind opened by Samuel Gridley -
1834
Braille code is first published -
1848
Howe established experimental school foe feeble-minded youth -
1858
American Printing House for Blind is established -
1884
Formal training for teachers of blind at Columbia University: Alexander Graham Bell introduced the term 'special education' -
1898
College-level training for teachers of students with intellectual disabilities begin -
1905
Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon publish their intelligence test, the basis for modern IQ testing -
1910
Segregated classes in the public schools are established as viable alternatives to instructing children with disabilities; the term "emotionally disturbed" comes into use. -
1920
The term "mentally retarded' is introduced. The term 'gifted' appears in the professional literature. -
1922
Council for exceptional children is founded -
1944
Dr. Hans Asperger identifies children with characteristics that later would come to be called 'Asperger Syndrome' -
1947
Willowbrook State School (NY) opened as a facility for children with intellectual disabilities. After medical scandals an expose about its horrible conditions, it was closed in 1987 -
1954
U.S. Supreme Court hands down decision in Brown v. Board of Education -
1963
Samuel A. Kirk introduces the term 'learning disability' -
1967
Congress provides funding to disseminate best practices for special education by adding Title VI to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) -
1990
Americans with Disabilities Act is enacted; EAHCA is amended and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) -
1997
IDEA is amended, adding provisions related to transition services, participation by general education teachers, and discipline -
2003
No Child Left Behind Act increases accountability for outcomes for all students and requires that they are taught by highly qualified teachers -
2004
Re-authorization of IDEA raises standards for quality instruction for students with disabilities, elaborates on parents involvements and discipline, and defines 'highly qualified' for special education teachers -
2010
President Obama signs Rosa's Law, which changes federal language usage from 'mental retardation' to 'intellectual disability'