History of Special Educaion
Abstract
Special education is an ever changing process in our education system. The program has to evolve and change to fit the times and the growing need for better accommodations for the students. With these changes comes the need for clarity about what special education is and who benefits from the services. Growing up I did not know what special education was all about. I thought that it meant that students were just slow learners. Now being a teacher, I see that special education is a program that benefits and helps students with disabilities.
Special Education: An Ever Evolving Process
Special education is a very important issue that is often misunderstood in our education system. The process continually changes to keep up with the changes that face our education system every year. It also continues to change to keep up with the growing need for special education services and the questions from parents and teachers alike. Special education was once something that was seen as a stigma to our children, but now we now that it is a beneficial resource to students with learning disabilities. Many say that the history of special education is closely related to that of the civil rights movement. The movement was especially strongly influenced by the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka landmark case. “The Brown decision began a period of intense questioning among parents of children with disabilities, who asked why the same principles of equal access to education should not apply to their children” (Heward, 2009). Students with mental, physical, or learning disabilities were not afforded the chance to receive a free education in the United States and were segregated from their peers because of their disabilities. In 1975 special education programs were made mandatory in the United States. Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which was later renamed for the current Individuals with Disabilities Education
Special education is an ever changing process in our education system. The program has to evolve and change to fit the times and the growing need for better accommodations for the students. With these changes comes the need for clarity about what special education is and who benefits from the services. Growing up I did not know what special education was all about. I thought that it meant that students were just slow learners. Now being a teacher, I see that special education is a program that benefits and helps students with disabilities.
Special Education: An Ever Evolving Process
Special education is a very important issue that is often misunderstood in our education system. The process continually changes to keep up with the changes that face our education system every year. It also continues to change to keep up with the growing need for special education services and the questions from parents and teachers alike. Special education was once something that was seen as a stigma to our children, but now we now that it is a beneficial resource to students with learning disabilities. Many say that the history of special education is closely related to that of the civil rights movement. The movement was especially strongly influenced by the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka landmark case. “The Brown decision began a period of intense questioning among parents of children with disabilities, who asked why the same principles of equal access to education should not apply to their children” (Heward, 2009). Students with mental, physical, or learning disabilities were not afforded the chance to receive a free education in the United States and were segregated from their peers because of their disabilities. In 1975 special education programs were made mandatory in the United States. Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which was later renamed for the current Individuals with Disabilities Education
References: Gottlieb, J. (1978). Placement in the least restrictive environment. In Criteria for the evaluation of the least restrictive environment provision. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Education for the Handicapped, Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Heward, W.L. (2009). Exceptional children: an introduction to special education (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.