Timeline of important events in the history of Special Education

  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act

    Elementary and Secondary Education Act
    *Supports many initiatives that help low income families acces hight quality education programs.
    *Includes provisions for free and reduced lunches and additional teachers in disadvantaged communities.

    *Applies to children who need additional support to benefit from public school education programs
  • Period: to

    History of Special Education

  • Vocational Rehabilitation Act

    Vocational Rehabilitation Act
    *Defines handicapped person
    *Difines appropriate education
    *Prohibits discrimination against students and disabilities in federally funded programs
  • Educational Amendments Act

    *Grants federal funds to states for programming for exceptional learners.

    *Provides the first federal funding of state programs for students who are gifted and talented.
    *Grants students and families the right or due proess in special education placement.
  • Education for All Hindicapped Children Act (EAHCA)

    Education for All Hindicapped Children Act  (EAHCA)
    *Known as the Mainstreaming Law
    *Requires states to provide a free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities, (ages 5-18).
    *Requires individualized education programs (IEP).
    *First defined least restrictive environment.
  • Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments

    Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments
    *Requires states to extend free and appropriate education to children with disabilities.

    *Establishes early interventiion programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities. (ages birth to 2 years).
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

    Americans with Disabilities Act  (ADA)
    *Prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector.
    *Protects equal opportunity to employment and public services, accommadatins, trasportation, and telecommunications.
    *Defines disability to include people with AIDS
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA)

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA)
    *People first
    *Along with special ed, it also includes social work, asstive technology, and rehabilitation services.

    *Confidentiality for students and parents.
    *Ads autism and traumatic brain injury
    *States are required to provide bilingual education programs for students with disabilities.
    *Requires states to educate students with disabilities for transition to employment, and to provide transition services.

    *Requires the development of individaulied trasition to employment.
  • Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

    Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
    *Requires that all students with disabilities continue to receive services, even if they have been expelled feom school.
    *Allows states to extend their use of the developmental delay category for students through age 9.

    *Requires schools to assume greater responsibility for ensuring that students with disabililities have access to the general education curriculum.

    *Allows special education staff who are working in mainstream classrooma to assist general education students when needed.
  • No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)

    No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
    *Improves performance of elementary and secondary schools by increasing school, district, and state accountability for all students, including those from minority populations and those with special needs.
    *Flexibility in how states use federal funds.
    *Offers shcool choice for students enrolled in failing schools.
    *Implements early reading interventions.
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
    *Allows districts to use RTi
    *Increases federal funds to provide early intervention services to students who do not need special education or related services.
    *Eliminates use of short-term objectives in an IEP except for students who do not take statewide achievement assessments.
    *Raises standards for special education licensure.
    *Adopts policies designed to prevent the disproportionate representation of students in special education by race and ethnicity.