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The first special education school was established in 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut. It was called the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb. The term "dumb" referred to those who were "unable to speak". Courses the school provided included reading, math, history, writing, and Bible. Today, this school has been renamed to the American School for the Deaf. -
In 1922, the Council for Exceptional Children was formed. This council works to notify parents, teachers, and staff about individuals with disabilities and their education. It is designed to improve education among these individuals through policies and standards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54bB1J24XDw -
The U.S. Supreme Court Case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was a pivotal moment in education back in 1954. It declared that separating children based on their race in public schools was unconstitutional and also overturned "separate but equal" from Plessy v. Ferguson. https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/supreme-court-landmarks/brown-v-board-education-podcast#:~:text=Decision:,Clause%20of%20the%20Fourteenth%20Amendment. -
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed in 1965. Its purpose is to provide federal funding for schools so that they can have a genuine environment for children with disabilities. It applies to children who need that additional support to benefit from public school educational programs. -
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was signed in 1975 and is also known as Public Law 94-142. It requires states to provide a free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. In addition, it requires individualized IEPs. The EAHCA was later renamed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. -
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed by President George W. Bush. It protects people with disabilities with equal opportunity to employment, public services, communications, transportation, and other accommodations. -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, was the new name for the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1990. It extended special education services to involve social work, assistive technology, and rehabilitation services. This was also when they added autism as a part of the categories of disabilities. -
In 1997, more additions came to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Some of what they included is allowing states to extend their use of the developmental delay category for students through age 9 and requires that all students with disabilities continue to receive services, despite of whether they are present in school or not. -
No Child Left Behind was a vast piece of legislation when it was most recently signed by President George W. Bush in 2002. This Act ensures the improvement of public education for all children in the United States, including those with disabilities, by setting standards, holding schools accountable for the progress of their students, and providing more options for parents. https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/no-child-left-behind-an-overview/2015/04 -
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act was amended again in 2004 and is known as IDEA 2004. The focus of this was geared towards providing an education that meets a child's needs while preparing them for further education, and to protect the rights of children with disabilities along with their parents.
https://www.wrightslaw.com/law/art/history.spec.ed.law.htm