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History of Autism
Leo Kanner was the first to bring Autism to the public's attention. He was a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University.
Link: https://iancommunity.org/introduction-autism -
Brown v. the Board of Education
A landmark Supreme Court case which ruled racial segregation of children in public schools unconstitutional.
Link: https://www.landmarkcases.org/cases/brown-v-board-of-education -
Public Law 88-164
The Public Law (PL) 88-164 authorized funds for training professionals to work with children with special needs and for research and demonstration (the illustration of best practices) for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and deafness. Under President John F. Kennedy, who had a sister with IDD.
Link: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-77/pdf/STATUTE-77-Pg282.pdf -
PARC vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A landmark case that began a series of court decisions in favor of children with exceptionalities and their right to FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education). The court decided that children with IDD could not be excluded from school and did have a right to FAPE.
Link: https://www.pubintlaw.org/cases-and-projects/pennsylvania-association-for-retarded-citizens-parc-v-commonwealth-of-pennsylvania/ -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
This legislation comes into play when the rights of individuals with disabilities have been denied or interfered with. The key provision of the act says that it is illegal to deny participation in activities or programs solely because of a disability.
Link: https://dredf.org/legal-advocacy/laws/section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-of-1973/ -
Public Law 94-142 (Education for All Handicapped Children Act)
Passed by Congress in 1975 and took effect in 1977. The law was designed to "assure that all handicapped children have available to them a free appropriate public education which emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs".
Link: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/idea35/history/index_pg10.html -
Larry P. v. Riles
This court case ruled children should not be labeled "handicapped" or placed into special education without an adequate diagnosis that takes into account different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Link: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1984/02/08/05320018.h03.html -
Public Law 99- 457
The Education for All Handicapped Children (PL 94-142) was misnamed because it was not meant for children of all ages. Thus, PL 99-457 (Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986) allocated federal funds for the states to develop plans and programs for children and their families from birth on. The title of the Education of the Handicapped Act was then changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). -
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992
This act extends civil rights to persons with disabilities. These rights are guaranteed without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, or religion through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Three key pieces of legislation: IDEA 2004, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Link: https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-overview -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
Public Law 107-110. The purpose of this legislation was to hold schools and educators responsible for bringing students to a minimum level of competency and requires schools to present test data to prove their effectiveness. The legislation had an impact on all schoolchildren and a special impact on children with disabilities. The major education legislation in the George W. Bush administration.
Link: https://www2.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/execsumm.pdf -
The Combating Autism Act of 2006
One major legislative initiative aimed at addressing the challenge of autism. Signed into law by President Bush.
Link: https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/843 -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was enacted on December 10, 2015 and signed by President Barack Obama. The law includes provisions that are intended to help ensure success for all students and schools.
Link: https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn
