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By 1918, all 48 states (Alaska and Hawaii not part of the Union) had laws in place for compulsory attendance in school. There wasn't a standard on the starting age and students with disabilities could and were denied admission to many public schools. They were segregated from general education classrooms and schools
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With the Supreme Court case of Brown v Board of Education (1954), people realized that public education was not equal in terms of race, socioeconomic distribution, or in terms of intellectual needs. People started to question the status quo. Just like it took decades to actually desegregate schools, it took decades for special education to be made available for the ones who needed it.
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In Lyndon B Johnson's Great Societ Era, he signs Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) into law. It adds funding for primary and secondary schools with impoverished students.
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Not until the late 1960s were students with disabilities introduced to the classroom. Even then, they were "just visiting" while no accommodations were made for their needs. These students with mild disabilities were taught skills that would make them "normal" and encourage self-sufficiency. This was the start of inclusion-style classes, but it was not common practice and horribly ineffective.
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This section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects students with disabilities not defined under IDEA but still inhibit them from getting the instruction they need. Accommodations may include special seating, extended time, small testing location, being able to write in the testing booklet. This set precedent in future legislation
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Gerald Ford Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) is passed in 1975. In this act, public schools that received federal funding were required to provide equal access to education for children with disabilities
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1986 under the Reauthorization of IDEA services were extended to infants, toddlers, and preschool children aged 3. This would help children with disabilities to get off on the right foot.
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EHA adds autism and traumatic brain injories to the list of protected students and required a transitional plan to include life after school.
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One of the major amendments to the Act was extending the ages of developmental delay to the age of nine. Education for all Handicapped Children’s Act became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
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Students with disabilities are required to be given state assessments, so they must be taught with state standards. The control of instruction is left in the schools' hands, but they must use research-based methods. SPED teachers must be certified and specialize in reading, LA, or math
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Focused on equity, accountability, and excellence, IDEA 2004 starts to look a lot like the present state of the field of SPED. All students have the right to be evaluated and served, IEPs become mandatory, and better funding for SPED programs.
