The History of Special Education

By eleanorcwhitsett

  • Sports Illustrated is debuted

  • Brown vs. Board of Education

    In 1954, the US Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools were inherently unequal and unconstitutional. This means that schools could no longer be separated by race. This court case sparked a movement in people saying that the segregation of students with dsiabilities to other schools were also unfair.

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was legislated and signed by Lyndon B. Johnson in order to address inequal education for those students disadvantaged by poverty. The purpose was to provide equal access to education for all students and called for federal funding of primary and secondary schools.

  • The St. Louis Arch is completed

  • Congressional Investigation of 1972

    In 192, a congressional investigation was conducted to find out about the status of students with disabilities in public schools. It was found that 8 million students in the US needed special education services, but only 3.9 million had their needs met.

  • The movie "Jaws" was released

    Jaws was one of the first blockbuster films to be released.

  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act

    The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (also called Public Law 94-142) was signed by Gerald Ford in 1975. This law ensured that all states who recieved federal funding had to provide equal access to education for students with disabilities.This was a way to hold states accountable for providing proper services and education to handicapped children.

  • Winter Olympics - Austria

    In 1976, the Winter Olympic Games are held in Innsbruck, Austria.

  • Public Law 99-457 (Amendment to All Handicapped Children Act)

    In 1976, this law was passed to ensure that states were providing services to families of children with disabilities from the time they were born. Before this was enacted, services were not required to be given until the child reached the age of 3.

  • Handicapped Children's Protection Act

    The Handicapped Children's Protection Act was signed by Ronald Reagan. The purpose of this act was to give parents more of an active role in their student's Individualized Learning Plan (IEP). By doing this, parents had more say in the education of their child with a disability.

  • Public Law 101-476

    Public Law 101-476 made significant changes to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The act added traumatic brain injury and autism to the list of disability catergories, and also required an individual transition plan (ITP) to be added to student's IEPs. This way, students with disabilities have a plan to transition to life after secondary education.

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

    In 1997, the Education for All handicapped Children's Act became IDEA. It was reauthorized by President Bill Clinton and assured that all students have access to the same curriculum. States were also given permission to expand the term "developmental delay" to include ages 6 through 9.

  • Princess Diana dies

    In 1997, Princess Diana was killed in a fatal car crash in Paris.