# data[].attributes.body
Before public education became mainstream, individuals with any physical or cognitive disability were labeled as "lunatics". They were segregated from the rest of society and forced to live in insane asylums. Conditions were terrible.

# data[].attributes.body
Prior to 1943, autism was considered a term to describe schizophrenia symptoms. Leo Kanner was a child psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins. He determined that autism is its own disorder not related to multiple personalities.

# data[].attributes.body
Special education in America was practically nonexistent before 1961. Any child with a disability was taught at home or parents hired private tutors. Parents began to advocate for their children by securing places for them in the public education system.

# data[].attributes.body
Parents spent the next few years meeting with politicians and educators. They final broke ground in 1965. Lyndon B. Johnson signed certain acts that would help fund and expand public education for the special education community.

# data[].attributes.body
In 1973, the Rehabilitation Act was passed. This act ensured all individuals with disabilities (not just learning ones) would have a 504. A 504 is a binding document that  guarantees accommodations to those that need one.

# data[].attributes.body
Prior to 1986, the Education for Handicapped Children Act covered children 3 and older. However, in 1986, the act was amended to cover children 2 and younger.

# data[].attributes.body
The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed in 1975. This act ensured that all students, regardless of any disability, would be granted access to public schools.

# data[].attributes.body
During 1997, Education for All Handicapped Children underwent many changes. It became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA started utilizing IEPs, ITPs, and began utilizing research based methods of teaching special education students.

# data[].attributes.body
SPED students were still being segregated from their peers in the general education classes. People thought it would be best for SPED children to have access to the gen. ed curriculum as well as their own. Inclusion became more mainstream for students with learning disabilities.

# data[].attributes.body
No Child Left Behind was passed in 2001 and again in 2004. This program helped add technology and loan programs to the school systems. These were tremendous resources needed for SPED programs.

# data[].attributes.body
Glavin, C. (2014, February 6). History of special education in the US. History of Special Education in the US | K12 Academics. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.k12academics.com/special-education-united-states/history-special-education-us

History of autism: A history of autism timeline from 1908 to 2022. The Recovery Village Drug and Alcohol Rehab. (2022, May 26). Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/autism/history-of-autism/

The history of special education in the U.S.: A-state online. A. (2016, July 14). Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://degree.astate.edu/articles/k-12-education/the-history-of-special-education-in-the-u-s.aspx

Thomas, A. (2021, December 9). A brief history of special education in the United States. AllEducationSchools.com. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.alleducationschools.com/blog/history-of-special-education/

U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Disability history: Early and shifting attitudes of treatment (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.nps.gov/articles/disabilityhistoryearlytreatment.htm

Villegas, T. (2021, July 7). A brief history of special education. Think Inclusive. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.thinkinclusive.us/post/a-brief-history-of-special-education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Students have not always had the right to special education. Before 1961, the United States did not publicly educate any children with any disabilities. If a child had cognitive or emotional disabilities, deafness, blindness or needed speech therapy, parents had to educate their children at home or pay for private education. Parents began the process of securing public education by creating advocacy groups for their children. They met with teachers and politicians, and by 1965 Lyndon B. Johnson began signing off on acts designed to expand public education and its funding purposes.

In 1975, the United States voted to ensure that all children, regardless of their differences, should have access to free public school education. This law was called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. This act helped bring federal funds into schools to help them create special education for children who did not learn the same way as general education students. Later, this act became what we now call the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. Lawmakers have amended this act many times to incorporate what schools and families learn about how best to serve children. The U.S. has moved from keeping all children with disabilities in isolated classrooms to inclusive classrooms where children of all abilities can learn from and with each other.

The law requires schools to provide appropriate education to all students in the least restrictive environment possible. This means, for example, it is illegal to separate children in wheelchairs or with other assistive equipment from children who do not require such assistance. All children enjoy the right to an education and the chance to build successful lives. This means that children have a right to learn in diverse classrooms where every student has something different to offer. It is important for schools to be true microcosms of the outside world so that students learn to treat everyone with respect. Special education helps all students find their voices and share them in their own ways.

Most children have families or caregivers who love and care about them in ways no one else can. This means that these families and caregivers need to have voices in the discussion of their children's education. Families and caregivers take part in every decision in special education as the children's advocates to make sure that there is respect for everyone in the learning process, including the children.

When teachers manage inclusive classrooms, they need to have clear plans, including best practices, strategies and goals for each child. Special education laws ensure that educators, administrators and families have this in writing, before a child even becomes a member of a special education team.

The biggest controversy surrounding special education has always been the cost. It is much more costly to educate children with disabilities because they require more time and resources than a general education child does. However, this should never be a reason to reduce the quality of education for any child. Education has changed significantly over the past 10 years, but the laws regarding special education have not. Many of the new standards encourage inclusive classrooms, where students of all abilities can learn together. Teachers who become special education specialists are likely on the ground floor of developing better and more effective education for students with special needs.

Learn about the Arkansas State University online MSE in Special Education - Instructional Specialist program.

Sources:
http://www.nctm.org/News-and-Calendar/Messages-from-the-President/Archive/Skip-Fennell/What_s-So-Special-about-Special-Education_-Everything!/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The History of Special Education in the U.S. | A-State Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students have not always had the right to special education. Before 1961, the United States did not publicly educate any children with any disabilities. If a child had cognitive or emotional disabilities, deafness, blindness or needed speech therapy, parents had to educate their children at home or pay for private education.