Special Education History | History of Special Ed in the U.S. - 0 views
www.alleducationschools.com/...special-education-history
special education american special ed american education IDEA EHA NCLB
![](/images/link.gif)
-
for nearly 200 years after the United States was established in 1776, little was done to advance the rights of its disabled students
-
over 4.5 million children were denied adequate schooling before legislation to ensure equal education opportunities for special education children began in the early 1970s.
-
once legislation began, a steady stream of mandates, laws and decisions presented special needs students with opportunities previously unheard of. Suddenly, the foundation of a quality, individualized education in an accepting, unrestricted environment made independent living an option.
- ...17 more annotations...
-
victories were a culmination of decades of advocacy and dedication that helped build the rich selection of special education resources in the United States today.
-
The first advocacy groups to fight for quality special education were made up of parents whose children were marginalized as far back as 1933.
-
The majority of these family associations began making waves in the 1950s when their lobbying encouraged the passage of laws that provided training for teachers who worked with deaf, hard-of-hearing or intellectually disabled students (historically called "mentally retarded").**
-
In the early 1970s, multiple landmark court decisions giving states the responsibility to provide special education resources and schooling to students in need of it.
-
Currently, state and local institutions provide 91 percent of special education funding, while federal funds take care of the remaining 9 percent when states meet federal criteria. This balance allows for the varying special education programs you'll find across the country, as well as the uniform regulations that hold states to certain standards and encourage excellence in teaching.
-
The 1970s brought more significant improvement to the lives of special education students than any other decade in special education history
-
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 guaranteed civil rights to all disabled people and required accommodations for disabled students in schools.
-
in 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) guaranteed and enforced the right of children with disabilities to receive a free, appropriate education.
-
providing unique educational opportunities suited to the needs of disabled students and delivering it in the "least restrictive environment" possible, this law is still the foundation of modern-day special education history in the U.S. today.
-
onset of IDEA brought about a widespread focus on providing the best-researched, most effective methods for special education teaching. Now, not only were students guaranteed an equal education, they were provided with viable schooling options and the individualized attention they needed.
-
IDEA emphasized the use of individual education plans, or IEPs, for all special education students. IDEA also initiated the use of individualized transition plans, or ITPs, to best prepare students for successful in their adult lives.
-
During its reauthorization in 1997, EHA underwent a number of substantial revisions and became known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
-
IDEA took many of the aims represented in EHA and brought them to life by providing applicable standards and structure to its best intentions.
-
In 2001 and 2004, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) provided further accountability to schools and added technology assistance and loan programs to help schools acquire needed special education resources.
-
basic rights are set in place, advocacy groups similar to those first started in 1933 are forming to put forth legislation. These groups work toward a number of differing goals in regard to teaching methods, the recognition of certain disabilities and greater choice in schools.
-
*Source: "Back to School on Civil Rights: Advancing the Federal Commitment to Leave No Child Behind," by the National Council on Disability; January 25, 2000