5 Events That Have Shaped Special Education As It Looks Today

  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

    This act authorizes federal support for the rehabilitation and training of individuals with physical and mental disabilities. This was important in educational history because the government could now spend money on helping people with disabilities.
  • Education For All Handicapped Children Act

    This law was passed to support and protect the rights of students with disabilities. It called for early intervention, special education programs, and other services that would help over students with disabilities along in schooling. This law also made it so disabled students could not be denied schooling because of their difference.
  • No Child Left Behind

    This act was not only designed to improve the educational performance of students with disabilities, but all the students in the school system. This act ensured that all students were receiving equal opportunities in the classroom and students with disabilities had the proper resources and tools needed to succeed.
  • First-Person Language Law

    A law passed by the US Congress to eliminate the use of the term "mental retardation" and replace it with the term "intellectually disabled". Doing this helped eliminate the use of the word "retard" which can be taken very offensively by many people.
  • Regular Education Initiative

    This act was put in place in effort to have the general education teachers share some of the responsibility of teaching the students with disabilities. Not all the work should be done in a special education room, children with disabilities need to be engaged with others to help promote learning.