short summary of the history of special education

1. HISTORY OF
SPECIAL EDUCATION
PRESENTATION
ALSHAUNDRA EVERETT
SPE/514
AUGUST 8, 2016
INSTRUCTOR MARILYN RODGERS

2. WHAT IS SPECIAL
EDUCATION?
SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION , RELATED
SERVICES, AND SUPPLEMENTARY AIDS &
SERVICES ARE THE THREE ELEMENTS IN
SPECIAL EDUCATION. ANY ELIGIBLE STUDENT
(ACCORDING TO FEDERAL AND STATE
GUIDELINES) IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE THESE
SERVICES.

3. IDEA
IDEA IS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY. WHAT YOU LEARN ABOUT
SPECIAL EDUCATION NOW MAY CHANGE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, SIMPLY BECAUSE
INFLUENCED BY THE SOCIALAND POLITICAL CONTEXT IN WHICH IT EMERGED, PARENT ADVOCACY,
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, SEVERAL PRECEDENT-SETTING COURT CASES, CURRENT CIVIL
RIGHTS LAW, AND CURRENT GENERAL EDUCATION LEGISLATION.
SO KEEP IN MIND IDEA IS NOT STATIC! (FRIEND, 2015)

4. IDEA: 6 CORE PRINCIPLES
1. FREE APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION (FAPE)
2. LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT (LRE)
3. INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION
4. NONDISCRIMINATORY EVALUATION
5. DUE PROCESS
6. ZERO REJECT/CHILD FIND
(FRIEND, 2015)

5. PARENT ADVOCACY
UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY (UCP) SUPPORT GROUP- PARENTS OF OTHER CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO
JOIN THEM TO ADVOCATE FOR COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND SERVICES, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR
RETARDED CHILDREN– FIRST TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LEAD-BASED PAINT AND
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN CHILDREN, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR DOWN SYNDROME- ORGANIZED
EDUCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THEM, AND PROVIDED SUPPORTS FOR FAMILIES
(FRIEND, 2015).
THESE PARENT ADVOCACY GROUPS INITIATED THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT. THEY PUSHED FOR
THEIR CHILDREN TO RECEIVE THE SAME EDUCATION PROCESS AS OTHER STUDENTS. IT CAUSED THE MEDIA
ATTENTION TO RECOGNIZE CHILDREN OF SPECIAL NEEDS, BROUGHT SUPPORT, AND AWARENESS.

6. BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION
BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION OPENED THE DOOR FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF SPECIAL NEEDS PERSONS.
U.S. SUPREME COURT RULED THAT IT WAS UNLAWFUL UNDER THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO
DISCRIMINATE ARBITRARILY AGAINST ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE. THE COURTTHEN APPLIED THE CONCEPT OF
INTEGRATION INTO PUBLIC EDUCATION, THE NOTION THAT THE ONLY WAY TO PROTECT STUDENTS’
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY WAS TO ENSURE THAT DIVERSE STUDENT GROUPS
LEARNED TOGETHER. SOON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WERE RECOGNIZEDAS ANOTHER GROUP WHOSE
RIGHTS OFTEN HAD BEEN VIOLATED BECAUSE OF ARBITRARY DISCRIMINATION (FRIEND, 2015).
THE RULING HELPED CHANGE THE FACE OF THE CLASSROOM. THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WAS NOW
INTEGRATED. SPECIAL NEED PERSONS NOW HAD A NAME AS A DIVERSE GROUP.

7. DOE V. WITHERS
MR. WITHERS REFUSED TO MAKE THE ACCOMMODATIONS NEEDED BY A STUDENT WITH A LEARNING
DISABILITY, RESULTING IN A FAILING GRADE AND ATHLETIC INELIGIBILITY. THE WEST VIRGINIA CIRCUIT COURT
RULED THAT MR. WITHERS WAS PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR FAILING TO MAKEA GOOD-FAITH EFFORT TO
PROVIDE REQUIRED ACCOMMODATIONS; THE FAMILY WAS AWARDED $5000 IN COMPENSATORY DAMAGES
AND $30,000 IN PUNITIVE DAMAGES (FRIEND, 2015).
THIS COURT DECISION LEAD TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS TO PROTECT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. THIS
RULING ALSO BEGAN TO END THE SOCIAL STIGMA FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. IT SET THE TONE FOR
PERSONS SHOULD BE VIEWED AND TREATED IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

8. SECTION 504
SECTION 504 PREVENTS
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ALL
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES IN
PROGRAMS THAT RECEIVE FEDERAL
FUNDS, AS DO ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SECTION 504 ENSURES EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY FOR SCHOOL AGE
CHILDREN PARTICIPATION IN THE FULL
RANGE OF SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
(FRIEND, 2015).

9. ADA
ADA WAS BASED ON THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973, BUT IT FURTHER EXTENDED THE RIGHTS OF
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. IT PROTECTS ALL INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES FROM DISCRIMINATION,
AND IT REQUIRES MOST EMPLOYERS, WHETHER IN THE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SECTOR, TO MAKE REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THEM. THIS LAW ALSO ENSURES THAT TRANSPORTATION, BUILDINGS, THE
WORKPLACE, AND MANY PLACES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ARE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
(FRIEND, 2015).
IT ALSO MANDATES THAT TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES MAKE AVAILABLE OPTIONS SO THAT
INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS AND THOSE WITH SPEECH IMPAIRMENTS CAN COMMUNICATE WITH
OTHERS (FRIEND, 2015).

10. NCLB
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT (NCLB), IT IS THE LAW THAT HAS THE GOAL OF ENSURING THAT ALL STUDENTS,
INCLUDING THOSE WHO LIVE IN POVERTY, HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION. COMBINED
WITH RECENTLY DEVELOPED FEDERAL PROVISIONS FOR FLEXIBILITY RELATED TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF
ESEA (U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, 2012), IT GENERALLY MANDATES HIGHER ACADEMIC STANDARDS
AND INCREASED ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL STUDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES (FRIEND, 2015).

11. DEFICIT THINKING IN
SPECIAL EDUCATION
The deficit thinker sincerely believes that a person with disabilities is so
needy and has so many social or cultural deficits created by his
circumstances. The thinker believes the person will not do well in school, is
likely to have a multitude of behavioral problems, potentially stop-out or drop-
out of school without finishing a high-school diploma, thus not containing a
secondary education and unlikely to find future employment (Friend, 2015).
This is false! Positive thinking combined with resources gives any student
disabilities or not a fighting chance to succeed academically and in the job
market (Friend, 2015).

12. REFERENCES
FRIEND, MARILYN, BURSUCK, W. D. (2015). INCLUDING STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: A PRACTICAL
GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM TEACHERS, LOOSE-LEAF VERSION, 7TH EDITION. [VITALSOURCE
BOOKSHELF ONLINE]. RETRIEVED
FROM HTTPS://ONLINE.VITALSOURCE.COM/#/BOOKS/9781323078716/