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In the 1600s, individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders were segregated in asylums.
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In the 1700-1800s, individuals with emotional and behavioral difficulties were treated in mental institutions. Philippe Pinel (1745-1826), a French physician, advocated for more humane treatment of individuals with mental illness and developed a treatment approach called moral treatment. Benjamin Rush (1745-1813) who is referred to as the father of American psychiatry, also argued for better treatment of the mentally ill and focused on the importance of education.
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In 1909, the Juvenile Psychopathic Institute was established and Dr. William Healy, Agusta Bronner, Grace Fernald, and Julie Lathrop began to study repeat juvenile delinquents with a focus on helping children who were engaging in antisocial or criminal behavior.
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Bruno Bettelheim begins is work on the the therapeutic milieu for children with emotional disorders at the Orthogenic School at the University of Chicago.
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In 1960, Peral Berkowitz and Esther Rothman wrote The Disturbed Child, in which they stressed the need for a modified psychoanalytic approach to teaching children with emotional and behavioral difficulties.
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Nicholas Hobbs started Project Re-ED (Re-Education of Emotionally Disturbed Children), which was a model for addressing the needs of children with emotional disturbances in residential schools.
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In his book "The Early Identification of Children with Educational Handicaps," Eli Bower defines emotional disturbance, which influences the definition used by the federal government.
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Council for Children with Behavior Disorders (CCBD) was formed as a division of Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). By 1964, there were approximately 500 members of the CCBD, which made it the largest division of the CEC.
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In 1965, Nicholas Long, William Morse, and Ruth Newman wrote "Conflict in the Classroom," with recommendations for identifying and educating children with emotional disabilities.
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In Mills v Board of Education of the District of Columbia, friends of Peter Mills advoaced for his right to education. Mills was recommended for expulsion due to behavioral problems. Both parties agreed to a stipulation that the school district would provide Peter Mills, with a free appropriate public education suited to their needs. The district also agreed to develop a plan to identify and support all students with disabilities age 3-21.
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1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) was passed, mandating services for children with disabilities, including students with an emotional disturbance.
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In 1990, PL 94-142was amended and the title was changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). It was further amended in 1991, 1997, and 2004. With these amendments, there continued to be a greater focus on meeting the needs of students with emotional disturbances such as addressing onditions for removing them from public school for disciplinary reasons without denying them access to alternate educational opportunities. It also mandated the use of FBA/BIP.