The History of Special Education
By: Jessica Leeper and Abby Drenth
The history of education is a timeline that stretches as far from the mid 1900s to present. The history of special education not only shows just how far we have come for children with special needs, but it also shows what lies ahead for the growth of our special education legislation. Before there were all of these accommodations and modifications for students with special needs that we have today, the parents of children with special needs had no options other than to teach their children at home through homeschooling, or put their children through private education, which was paid for through a heavy sum. Luckily, this is different for today's society, and we are going to tell you the timeline of how it happened.
After World War II began, a vast amount of advocacy groups run by parents of children with special needs arose. These advocacy groups were the start of the history of special education. One of the first group to surface was the American Association on Mental Deficiency. The organization's first convention was held in 1947. In the early 1950s, in reaction to the Civil Rights Movement, more advocacy groups began to form. These groups were still being organized by parents. A few of these organizations that arose were the United Cerebral Palsy Association, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and President John F. Kennedy's Panel on Mental Retardation. Kennedy's panel on mental retardation was established in 1961, and consisted of recommendations such as including federal aid to states. Later on in the 1960's, due to all of the uproar and the establishment of the Presidents' Panel, school access for children with disabilities began to be established at state and local levels at a vastly increasing rate. One of the acts that made the school access possible was the Elementary and Secondary Act.
The Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) was passed in 1965 when Lyndon B. Johnson was in presidency. This act provided funds for both primary and secondary schools. One of the ways the funds could be distributed was through creating a Title 1 program. The Title 1 program provided students who migrated and came from low income families an intervention program. Title 1 programs help students who are disadvantaged get the necessary education to be proficient in the classroom. There are two different ways that the title 1 programs can be facilitated in the schools. The first way is by having the funds dispersed evenly throughout the school to help with student achievement. The second way the funds can be dispersed is by assistance programs. These programs are targeted at students who are performing below grade level. The act also focused on the importance of having equal access to education for all students. The funds are authorized to be used for professional development, instructional materials, for resources to support educational programs, and for parental involvement in the school promotion.
Despite all of these important events and established acts, only a relatively small number of children with disabilities were being educated in public schools. Luckily, in 1975, a very important federal law was created to change this dilemma. This law was The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which would later be amended in 2004 and changed to be named the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In 1997, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed. When passed, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act gave children the right to a public education for all children, whether they have a disability or not. This act is now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ensures that schools provide individual or special education for students with qualifying disabilities.
Under the law of IDEA, there are provisions that require that all states receiving federal funding must abide by the law's following requirements:
- All students with special needs that are between the ages of three and twenty one must be provided with access to an appropriate, free and public education
- Identify, locate and evaluate children labeled with disabilities
- Develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for each child with special needs
- Educate children with disabilities within their “Least Restrictive Environment.” This environment is ideally with their typically developing peers, but is dependent on individual circumstances
- Provide those students enrolled in early-intervention (EI) programs with a positive and effective transition into an appropriate preschool program
- Provide special education services for those children enrolled in private schools
- Ensure teachers are adequately qualified and certified to teach special education
- Ensure that children with disabilities are not suspended or expelled at rates higher than their typically developing peers
IDEA's legislation ensures that all children with special needs are given an opportunity to receive the services and resources necessary for them. These services and resources will help to ensure that these students will succeed alongside their peers.
In conclusion, the history of special education has had a great, but positive impact on students and their education. Before the establishment of IDEA, there were many children with special needs that were not allowed access to any sort of public education. There were also many states that had laws to dis-include children with significant special needs, such as deafness, blindness, and mental retardation. Today, due to the growing history of special education, there is now the help of IDEA. According to LearningRx, due to the help of IDEA, there are now special education opportunities provided to more than "6.5 million children and 200,000 infants, toddlers, and families each year."
Discussion Questions:
1) How has special education evolved over the years?
2) Do all students have the opportunity to be in a general education classroom?
3) What are the benefits of the Special Education program?
4) What is an IEP and what is it used for?
5) What's the importance of the Elementary and Secondary Act?
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