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The International Council for the Education of Exceptional Children (CEC)
CEC was formed to "unite those interested in educational problems of special children, to emphasize the education of special children rather than his/her identification, and to establish professional standards for teachers in the field of special education." It also aimed to "be the clearinghouse of knowledge useful to teachers in their special fields, demand high qualifications for those in the field,use the ability of each pupil to the max, and bring the opportunity of achievment to each child -
The National Association for Retarted Citizens
This organization was started to address the issues;widespread exclusionchildren with IQ’s below 50 from school, a lack of community services for people with handicaps, long waiting lists for admission to residential institutions, parental dissatisfaction with the conditions in many state institutions, the vision of leaders who believed that mutual assistance could bring major benefits in public relations, exchange of information and political actions, and few trained proffessionals. *see ARC -
Brown v. Board of Education
This landmark court case overturned the Plessy v. Fergusen case saying that "Separate is NOT equal". This court case brought to attention not only black v. white in the schools, but also special needs students v. normal students. With this case, many advocacy groups were formed to help inform the nation of the problem with the US special education programs. -
Captioned Films Acts of 1958 (P.L. 85-905)
Supported the production and distribution of accessible films i.e. captioned films -
Training of Professional Personnel Act of 1959 (PL 86-158)
Allocated funds for the training of program administrators and teachers of children with mental retardation -
Teachers of the Deaf Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-276)
Trained instructional personnel for children who were deaf or hard of hearing -
Community Mental Health Act (P.L. 88-164; CMHA)
The CMHA provided grants to states for the establishment of local mental health centers, under the overview of the National Institute of Mental Health. The NIH also conducted a study involving adequacy in mental health issues. The purpose of the CMHA was to provide for community-based care, which led to considerable deinstitutionalization. -
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (Pub.L. 89–10)
This legislation provided resources to help ensure that disadvantaged students had access to quality education and established a grant program to help states in the “initiation, expansion, and improvement of programs and projects . . . for the education of handicapped children.” It also created the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped (now called the Office of Special Education Programs;OSEP). -
State Schools Act (P.L. 89-313)
Provided states with direct grant assistance to help educate children with disabilities -
The Education of the Handicapped Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-230)
This law established grant program for local educational agencies and was the jumping point for the EAHCA. It also included the Children with Specific Learning Disabilities Act which defined learning disabilities within the Federal law -
Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The Court’s ruling laid the foundation for the establishment of the right to an education for all children with disabilities. That case also established the standard that each child must be offered an individualized education and that children should be placed in the least restrictive environment possible. -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
Brought to court under the same principles as PARC v Penn., this case declared that students with disabilities must be given a public education, and that financial limits were a moot point in providing education to these students. It set a precedent that educational services must be made based on children's needs, not on the schools’ fiscal capabilities to provide such services. -
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
This act is protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability and is generally accepted as the first civil-rights statute for persons with disabilities. It covers any person with a handicap that limits at least one major life active and applys to anywhere with federal funding. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA; P.L. 94-142)
The first law to mandate all public schools give free approrpriate education to children with disabilities, this law also insured that the child be taught in the least restrictive environment, have an individualized education program (IEP), procedural due process, nondiscriminatory assessment, and parental participation -
International Association for Research in Learning Disabilities (IARLD) founded
This group was formed "with the intention of providing a forum for the exchange of information and the advancement of knowledge regarding learning disabilities." It was the first international collaboration between the top leaders of the field and continues to host talks and produce publications on the most curent information about learning disabilites -
Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley
In this case, the IEP of a student with a hearing deficiency required a regular class, receive hearing aid, instruction from a tutor for the deaf and a speech therapist. Her parents requested a sign language interpreter, but that service was denied. Initially, the court ruled that the school was to blame, but the Supreme court decided "an appropriate education is not synonymous with an optimal educational experience" -
The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-524)
This law authorized funds to support vocational education programs that include youths with disabilities. The law stated that "individuals who are members of special populations must be provided with equal access to recruitment, enrollment, and placement activities in vocational education" -
The Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-372)
This law provides for reasonable attorney's fees and costs to parents and guardians who levy a legal charge against a school system concerning their child's right to a free appropriate special education -
The Education For All Handicapped Children Act Amendments of 1986 (PL 99-457)
This law recognized the unique role of families in the development of handicapped children, expanded the original law to include handicapped infants and preschool children, introduced Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), and began early intervention. -
Interagency Committee Report
A report is released by the Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities which calls for the establishment of Centers for the Study of Learning and Attention, whose purpose is to expand research and understanding of learning disabilities -
Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-407; Tech Act)
This law provides "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." Assistive technology services are defined in the Act as "any services that directly assist an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device" -
Daniel R.R. v. State Board of Education June 12, 1989
This law established the two prong test now used to determine LRE for MI. The two questions are: Can education in the regular classroom, with the use of supplemental aids and services, be achieved satisfactorily? and if it cannot, has the school mainstreamed the child to the maximum extent appropriate? -
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-336)
Three important things came from this law: 1. Employers, mass transit systems, and companies who provide products and services must make “reasonable accommodations.” This includes physical access, leading to many wheelchair accessable ramps and handicap parking. 2. Expanded definitions of eligibility may include people with AIDS, substance abuse issues, or any impairment that limits a major life activity. 3. eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities in the pubic and private se -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (P.L. 101-476; IDEA)
This act replaced EAHCA and improved many aspects of it such as promoting people first viewpoints, promoting research and technology development, details on transition programs for students post-high school and programs that educate children in their neighborhood schools, as opposed to separate schools. The bill also added autism and traumatic brain injury as distinct disability categories and had special education services include social work and rehabilitation services.Transition Services -
Oberti vs. Board of Education of the Borough of Clementon School District
In this case the courts decided that "inclusion is a right, not a privilege for a select few" and that the Clemention School District may have been in violation of the IDEA because it did not offer a general classroom with appropriate services before moving the child to a special education classroom -
Advances with MRI machines
Dr. Guinevere Eden uses an MRI to show which regions of the brain act differently with people affected by dyslexia -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (PL 105-17)
This act clarified FAPE for students with disabilities, strengthened roles of parents in special education plans, ensured 100% access to general education. It also set the standards for why a child with disabilities could be suspended and required parental notification before a child is moved from a placement. -
Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F
This case showed support of the "bright line" rule, stating that only medical services which must be provided by a physician are not required to be supplied by the school districts. -
Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581
This case enforced the ADA mandate that individuals with mental disabilities have the right to live in the community rather than in institutions if the placement is appropriate. This was a big sucess for supporters of deinstitutionalization and community integration. -
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) January 8, 2002
This act included incentive for schools with excelling special education programs and states that students with IEP's or 504 plans are to be counted in testing along with general students. One concern about this act is that it takes away from the individualized student focus because of its group nature. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 Public Law 108-446
In these amendments 1) FAPE is expanded to include preparation for further education, employment and independent living, and 2) special education should meet the unique learning needs children with disabilities, preschool through age 21.