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Special Education School
The Connecticut Asylum (at Hartford) for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons was the first special education school in the United States. The school opened on April 15, 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, Laurent Clerc, and Mason Cogswell co-founded the school. Today, the school exists as the American School for the Deaf. The American School for the Deaf serves deaf and hard of hearing individuals from birth through adulthood. -
Perkins School
The New England Asylum for the Blind opened on March 2, 1829. It was founded by Samuel Gridley Howe. The name was later changed to the Perkins School for the Blind. It is the oldest school for the blind in the United States. Famous pupils include Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller. -
AAIDD
The Association of Medical Officers of American Institutions for Idiotic and Feebleminded Persons was founded in 1876. Edouard Seguin was the organization's first president. It is the oldest professional association concerned with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Today, it is known as the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. It operates in the US and 50 other countries worldwide. -
Compulsory Education Law
Massachusetts was the first state to pass a compulsory education law in 1852. Mississippi was the last state in 1918. Depending on the state, students are required to start school from age 5-8 and stay until 16-18. Compulsory special education ranges from birth to 22, depending on the state. One of the main reasons behind a compulsory education law was to increase the literacy rate. -
Autism
In 1943, Dr. Leo Kanner published a paper titled "Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact". It was one of the most cited papers on autism in the 20th century. Dr. Kanner's paper focused on 11 children that he observed. He labeled them as having "infantile autism" also known as Kanner Syndrome. His subjects were 8 boys and 3 girls with whom he worked with at John Hopkins hospital. He noted the children's repetitive actions and preferences for solitude. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The basis of Brown v. the Board of Education Topeka was that black parents wanted to enroll their children in (white) neighborhood schools. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court handed down an unanimous decision that the law of "separate but equal" was unconstitutional in public schools and other public facilities. This ruling spurred disability rights groups to fight for the inclusion of children with disabilities in public schools and a right to a free education. -
Special Olympics
The first Special Olympics was held on July 20, 1968. Eunice Kennedy Shriver was its founder, influenced by her sister Rosemary, who had intellectual disabilities. The first games were a one day event held in Chicago. Athletes can participate free of charge. On October 30, 2004, President Bush signed into law PL 108-406, which provides funding for the Special Olympics. Special Olympics Official Website -
PARC vs. Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) sued the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania over the right for a free education for children with disabilities. The children's mental age was being used to deny them a public school education. The ruling was that all children regardless of disability had the right to a free public education that had to match that of typically developing children. VIDEO -
EHA
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), or PL 94-142, was signed into law by President Ford on November 30, 1975. The law guarantees FAPE - a free and appropriate education for all students with disabilities. It also earmarked federal funds for the education of students with disabilities. The law also gave a provision for parents to bring forth any complaints or concerns regarding the education of their children with disabilities. -
IDEA
On October 30, 1990, President signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. IDEA replaced EHA 1975. IDEA 1990 has been amended twice, in 1997 and 2004. IDEA says that all children, regardless of disability, has the right to a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Multiple evaluations in the student's native language must be administered and parents have the right to be involved in planning the Individualized Educational Program (IEP).
