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The American School for the Deaf
The American School for the Deaf opened up in Hartford, Connecticut during the year of 1817. The school was founded by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc. This was the first permanent, educational establishment for the deaf in the United States. Although, the first school for the deaf was established during the year of 1780 in the state of Virginia, it closed down. -
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The History of Special Education
By: Kanethia Coleman -
Perkins School for the Blind is opened
Samuel Gridley Howe opened up the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts, during the year of 1832. It was the first school for the blind within the United States, and the school utilized techniques in which were inspired by European models. Howe created an embossed system which enabled blind people to read. He despised the use of American Sign Language as form of communication and praised lip reading, and oralism. Helen Keller was also one of his most renowned students. -
The Common School
Horace Mann an individual, whom acted as Secretary of State for the Board of Education in Massachusetts, introduced the common school in 1837. Horace Mann argued that public education should be free. In order for public education to be free, he mandated that everyone pay taxes so that teachers could receive higher compensation, education establishments could receive aesthetic improvements, and training centers be established for teachers as a means of ongoing professional development. -
The Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble – Minded Children
Dr. Alfred Elwyn was founded the Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble – Minded Children during the year of 1852. It was the first private institution in the United States for children with intellectual disabilities. Though it was a private institution it received public funding which denoted the public’s concern and interest in children with intellectual disabilities (Digital Collections, n.d). -
The Department of Education
The original Department of Education was founded on March 7th, 1867. It was developed to collect, and analyze information pertaining to education with the purpose of improving the efficacy in educational institutions, both private and public (Federal Role in Education, 2017). -
The 14th Amendment
On July 9th, 1868 the 14th Amendment was ratified and granted citizenship to all individuals born or naturalized in the United States, including individuals that were formerly enslaved. It also granted individuals with equal protection under the law (Landmark Legislation, 2020). -
Association of Medical Officers of American Institutions for Idiotic and Feeble – Minded a persons
This institution was established by six individuals on June 6th, 1876 in Medina, Pennsylvania. Individuals with disabilities were viewed as being sick, and were treated like hospital patients in which needed to be cured of their ailment(s). According to Richard Scheerenberger, the association's primary purpose was to discuss "the causes, conditions, and statistics of idiocy, and the management, training, and education of idiots and feebleminded persons. -
The Volta Laboratory
Samuel Gridley Howe opened up the Volta Laboratory, during the year of 1887 which was an information center for the deaf and individuals with other hearing impairments. He advocated "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge relating to the Deaf (Disability Reform, n.d.)”. The Laboratory was a place in which parents and citizens within the community could receive additional information regarding deaf individuals and individuals with other hearing impairments. -
Plessy Vs. Ferguson
This was a landmark and it concerned racial segregation. During the year 1896, the United States Supreme Court rules that following the constitution; racial segregation under the separate but equal philosophy was ethical (Plessy Vs. Ferguson, n.d.). -
Progressive Education Association
During the year of 1919, a group of women established the Progressive Education Association in Washington, D.C. Their goal was to reform American education by making classrooms more student – centered. The group of women created an outline of “Seven principles- philosophies” in which highlighted the elements of their reform and included some of the following; Teacher were viewed as guides, engaging student interest was the catalyst for learning and for doing work, and much more. -
The International Council for Exceptional Children:
The International Council for Exceptional Children was founded by a group of educators at Teachers College, Columbia University on August 10, 1922. Their mission was to help students with exceptionalities by improving their educational outcomes, and to establish ethical standard for teachers to follow for teaching students with exceptionalities in which would enable their academic success (CEC, n.d.). -
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was developed by David Wechsler in the year 1939 . It introduces the concept of the "deviation IQ," which calculates IQ scores based on how far subjects' scores differ (or deviate) from the average (mean) score of others who are the same age. Wechsler intelligence tests, particularly the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, are still widely used in U.S. schools to help identify students needing special education (AEH, n.d.). -
Brown Vs. Board of Topeka :
On May 17th, 1954 the Supreme Court declared that separate educational institutions were not equal. This court ruling paved the way for desegregated educational institutions, and equality in education within the United States. -
The term “Learning Disabilities”
In the year of 1963 a professor for the Research Institute for Exceptional Children, Samuel A. Kirk invented and defined the term “Learning Disabilities” in a speech at an education conference to describe children with language, communicative, reading, and speech disorders. It was the very first time the term had ever been used and now the term is widely used to describe individuals that receive Special Education (Illinois Distributed Museum, n.d.). -
The Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Acts was passed during the year of 1964. As a law it made discrimination that is based on gender, race, color, and nationality illegal. It also granted equal access to public places, employment, enforced desegregation in educational institutions, and the right to vote (Civil Rights Act of 1964, n.d.) -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
This law was passed during the year of 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson as his “War on Poverty” plan.This law was initiated as a means to provide educational services for students that were in low – income communities.The ESEA also provided districts with federal grants for textbooks, equipment, library books, developed centers for students with special needs to receive special education, and scholarships for low – income students as well. -
Diana Vs. California State Board of Education:
On September 4th, 1970 the state of California ruled that children whose primary language used to communicate is not English or students that do not actively use English to communicate in their primary place of residence, should be tested in their native language. -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) Vs. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
On October 8th, 1971 a judge ruled that it was unconstitutional to deny children access to FAPE, children with disabilities were not permitted to attend public schools in the state of Pennsylvania (Parc, n.d.). -
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act
This law was passed on August 21, 1974 it prohibited discrimination in educational institutions and banned states from discriminating based on race, gender, color, nationality and provided equal protection . It also made it mandatory for public schools to provide services for students in which English is not their native language (The Equal Education Opportunities Act takes Effect, 2019). -
The Education of All Handicapped Children Act
This law made it mandatory that all public educational institutions that receive federal funding to grant equal access to education for children with physical and mental disabilities. This act also made it mandatory that all public education institutions analyze as well as evaluate children with disabilities and to develop an individualized education plan with their parents. -
The Vocational Education Act
This law makes it mandatory that vocational education programs be funded by the federal government. According to NASET(National Association of Special Education Teachers). org; this law states that individuals who are members of special populations (including individuals with disabilities) must be provided with equal access to recruitment, enrollment, and placement activities in vocational education (NASET, 2006). -
Honig, CALIFORNIA SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Vs. Doe
On January 20th, 1988 the United States Supreme Court of California declared that the state of California was not authorized to indefinitely suspend a student for behavior that derived from a disability or disabilities (Honig V. Doe, n.d.). -
Public Law 101 – 476
The 1990 Amendments (Public Law 101 – 476) renamed the legislation as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and added traumatic brain injury (TBI) and autism to the category of disabilities. This law also converted the tern “handicap” to the term “disability”, in addition to that it made it mandatory that a transition plan be included in all IEP’s and that it be created before the student turned 17 (Brain Injury Association, 2020). -
The Americans with Disabilities Act
This law was passed on July 26th, 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, it was essentially a Civil Rights Law in which banned discrimination towards individuals with disabilities and permits individuals with disabilities to work, purchase goods – services, engage in State as well as local government programs and services (ADA, n.d.). -
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
This law was passed on January 8th, 2002 by President George W. Bush. This law is essentially a reauthorization and revision of the ESEA Law of 1965. The difference between this law and ESEA is the NCLB Act allocates even more federal funds as this additionally money in which is funded to educational institutions in low – income communities ensures the individuals will be provided with excellent, free, public education . -
The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (Reauthorized)
President Bush signed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, which reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), on December 3, 2004. -
Endrew F Vs. Douglas County School District
During the year of 2017, in the case of Endrew F. versus Douglass County School District, the United States Supreme Court mandated that all schools must offer an IEP in which goals are realistic and attainable for the child to meet given the circumstances of their disability or disabilities.