History of Special Education

History of Special Education

This is a timeline I created that marks the important dates of the history of special education. For a more detailed view of this timeline, access the following link: https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/1555211

Special education was scarce before the 1970s. Although some things were offered to certain disabled students, many children with disabilities were neglected proper education. After the PARC and Mills cases in the early 1970s, which both involved schools excluding, suspending, or expending disabled students, congress investigated the education available for disabled students (Wright, 2010). Congress found that less than half of children with disabilities were receiving appropriate education (Wright, 2010). This led to the creation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in 1973 and the Education for all Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) in 1975. (NA, 2016). Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act protects and accommodates the needs of students with disabilities such as ADHD, dyslexia, HIV, and depression (NA, 2016). The EAHCA, which ensures that all students with disabilities be given free appropriate public education (FAPE), was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990 and was further modified in 2004 (NA, 2016). Under the newest version of IDEA, eligible students that have one of thirteen disabilities receive an individualized education plan (NA, 2016). The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 incorporated disabled students into their plan of providing proper, free education for all students (Wright, 2010).

References

NA. (2016). Understanding Special Education. Retrieved from http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/

Wright, P. (2010). The History of Special Education Law. Retrieved from http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/art/history.spec.ed.law.htm