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First SPED Class in US
In the late 19th Century, teachers began to see more and more students with learning disabilities who were often labeled a menace to society. They saw a need for learning how to educate these students leading to the establishment of the first class for students with disabilities in Rhode Island in 1896. By 1923, almost 34,000 students were being educated in special education classes. -
The Council for the Retarded Child
A group of five mothers in Cuyahoga County, Ohio formed a council in protest of their children with disabilities being excluded from public education. The Council for the Retarded Child sparked the beginning of the parent advocacy movement. Many credit these five women for laying the foundation for The Association of Retarded Citizens (ARC) that was to be established in years to come. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Brown's Impact on SPED
Even though Brown vs. Board of Education was monumental in dismantling racially segregated schools, it also had a huge impact on special education and the least restrictive learning environment for students with disabilities. The ruling in this famous court case stated that a right to a public education applies to ALL individuals regardless of race, gender, or disability. -
Panel for Mental Retardation
President Kennedy formed a panel of scientists and doctors that consisted of 27 members who were charged with researching the cause and treatment of individuals with intellectual disabilities. He presented the data and findings in a large press conference in 1963 which outlined the panel's recommendations for prenatal care, encouraging deinstitutionalization, forming community-centered agencies to identify and treat mental illness and disabilities, and stressed the need for special education. -
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects the rights of people with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination of individuals with disabilities in programs that receive federal funding and within federal agencies such as public schools. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act protects the rights of students with disabilities who are not eligible for special education services under IDEA, allowing them to have accommodations and provisions to receive FAPE and be educated in their LRE. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
The Education for All Handicapped Children (EHA) Law was signed by President Gerald Ford in 1975 establishing FAPE, which guarantees a free, appropriate public education for every child with a disability across the United States. The law provided funds for schools to provide special education and related services to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities. -
IDEA enacted
IDEA History The Individuals with Disabilities Act states that students with disabilities should be afforded the same educational opportunities as their non-disabled peers. It replaced the EHA of 1975 and focused more on the individual than the disability. It established new requirements for the IEP and added traumatic brain injury and autism as disability categories. -
No Child Left Behind
The controversial NCLB Act was signed into law by President George W, Bush in early 2002. It held schools accountable for how students learned and achieved. It introduced standardized testing and had the goal of closing the achievement gap for special groups of students including the economically disadvantaged, minority students, English Language Learners, and students in special education. The law also penalized schools by removing funding if they didn't comply or produce good results. -
Reauthorization of the IDEA
President George W. Bush signed the Reauthorization of the IDEA in 2004 which kept the foundation of IDEA but added several stipulations of great importance to special education. It requires that special educators must be "highly qualified". It holds schools to higher accountability for student outcomes and it requires that school systems provide early intervention for students with disabilities, including infants and toddlers. -
Autism Spectrum Disorder Term Accepted
History of Autism
In the 19th Century and well into the 20th Century, people with autism were said to be schizophrenic or developmentally retarded. There were four categories of autism established in 1994. After much research, in 2013, all four subcategories (Asperger’s Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, NOS, Rett’s Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder) were said to be under the same umbrella and named Autism Spectrum Disorder. -
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The ESSA had many similarities to NCLB but gave more power to states and districts. It also provides more provisions and emphasis for students who struggle because of environmental factors or disabilities. It places great emphasis on individualizing education and providing access to all through the UDL. It allows 1% of students to be tested on an alternative curriculum and requires that schools have reading initiatives that target students with dyslexia and that schools seek input from parents.