DEVELOPMENT

OF SPECIAL
Presented by Dianne Mari M. Domingo
EDUCATION
 OBJECTIVES
*Have a background on the Development of Special
Education
*Know historical events on Development of Special
Education

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 BRIEF HISTORY OF SPED
17TH Century Categories- idiots and insane
Children were put in asylums
No education or intervention

18th Century Effective procedures were developed were devised

for teaching children with sensory impairments
Programs for the blind and deaf

19th Century First systematic attempts were made to educate the

idiotic and the insane-mental retardation and
emotional/behavioral problems

Ideas of Democracy in France Change in attitude

And America Political reformers and leaders in medicine and education
began to champion the cause of handicapped children
and adults
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Ideas of Democracy in France Urged that the “imperfect” and “incomplete”
individuals
And America (physically disabled) be taught skills that would allow
them to be independent and productive citizens
Desire to protect and defend handicapped people
Sought to normalize exceptional children to the greatest
extent possible

20th Century Recognition of children and people with exceptionalities

Establishing rights
Creation of laws and legislation for the care and
protection of exceptional children
Focus on education
Creation of special education programs for each
exceptionality
Mainstreaming and inclusion

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 IN THE KNOW
Historical changes in the way disabilities have been understood
over the past century (Mercer & Richardson 1975)

*Initially people with disabilities were seen as a public menace

that needed to be controlled.
*Then viewed as educational and social welfare problems that
needed to be helped.
*Some were considered as physically different from able bodied
others with a problem that needed (medical) treatment.
*Finally people with disabilities were seen as an under
privileged minority group who needed equal access to a range
of life opportunities.
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 TIMELINE OF HISTORICAL EVENTS OF SPECIAL
EDUCATION
JANUARY 1866 -CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1866
1 JANUARY 1896 -PLESSY V. FERGUSON
6 OCTOBER 1954 -BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION
1 JANUARY 1972 -MILLS V. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
5 MAY 1972 -PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION FOR RETARDED CITIZENS
V. PENNSYLVANIA. & MILLS V. D.C. BOARD OF EDUCATION
26 SEPTEMBER 1973 -SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973
1 JANUARY 1975 -PUBLIC LAW NO. 94-142
1 JANUARY 1982 -THE ROWLEY DECISION •
26 JULY 1990 -THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT •
1 JANUARY 2001 -NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

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 CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1866- 1 JANUARY 1866
BY DECLARING THAT ALL PERSONS BORN HERE IN THE US ARE
CITIZENS THIS ACT PROVIDES THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL TO
DISCRIMINATE AGAINST INDIVIDUALS ON THE BASIS OF COLOR,
RACE OR WHETHER THEY WERE A SLAVE. THIS IN TURN WOULD
HELP IN FUTURE LITIGATION AND PROVIDE REMEDY FOR THOSE
EFFECTED IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.

PLESSY V. FERGUSON 1 JANUARY 1896

THE SUPREME COURT ORDERED THAT IT WAS LEGAL TO
SEGREGATE INDIVIDUALS AND HAVE SEPARATE FACILITIES AS
LONG AS THEY WERE EQUAL. HOWEVER, SEPARATE IS NOT EQUAL
AS WE LEARN THROUGH OUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. THIS
DECISION WOULD NOT BE CORRECTED UNTIL BROWN V. BOARD 58
YEARS LATER.

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BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION- 6 OCTOBER 1954
THIS IS A CONSOLIDATED CASE THAT FOUGHT FOR
DESEGREGATION OF ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN THE US AND
SEPARATE BUT EQUAL WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. THIS IS THE
SPRINGBOARD FOR LITIGATION AND LEGISLATION REGARDING
MILLS V.WITH
STUDENTS BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE DISTRICT OF
DISABILITIES.
COLUMBIA-
1 JANUARY 1972
THIS CASE INVOLVED THE COURT ESTABLISHING DUE PROCESS
PROCEDURES TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS HAD EQUAL RIGHTS. THIS
WAS A PROCEDURAL LAW THAT WAS LATER INCLUDED IN PUBLIC
LAW NO. 94-142. THE BOARD OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DENIED
ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WHO WERE SPECIAL NEEDS.
THE COURT FOUND THAT FREE PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, OR
A SUITABLE PRIVATE ALTERNATIVE PAID FOR BY THE BOARD OF
EDUCATION, MUST BE DELIVERED BASED ON THE STUDENTS'
INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, REGARDLESS OF COST
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 PENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION FOR RETARDED
CITIZENS V. PENNSYLVANIA. & MILLS V. D.C. BOARD
OF EDUCATION 5 MAY 1972
THE FEDERAL COURT DECIDED THAT CHILDREN WITH MENTAL
DISABILITIES WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH FREE AND APPROPRIATE
PUBLIC EDUCATION. THESE CASES PROVIDED A LEGAL STANDING
TO CHALLENGE OFFICIALS DENYING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. THESE
CASES BROUGHT TO ATTENTION THAT STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES SHOULD NOT BE EXCLUDED AND SHOULD HAVE
EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW.
SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973-
26 SEPTEMBER 1973
THIS LAW SIGNED IN BY PRESIDENT NIXON PROHIBITS
DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE AND SCHOOLS AND ANY
ENTITY RECEIVING FEDERAL FUNDING. THIS PLAN MANDATES
INDIVIDUALIZED PLANS FOR ELIGIBLE DISABLED STUDENTS WHO
NEED ACCOMMODATIONS OR MODIFICATIONS IN OR ORDER TO
RECEIVE FAPE. LEAST RESTRICTIVE EDUCATION MANDATE IS AN
ESSENTIAL ELEMENT AS FAR AS PLACEMENT TO THE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT 9
 PUBLIC LAW NO. 94-142 1ST JANUARY, 1975
THE EDUCATION FOR ALL HANDICAPPED CHILDREN ACT. THIS LAW
SECURED THE BASIC IDEALS, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO
ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL CHILDREN
WHO ARE DISABLED. THE KEY ELEMENT BEING THAT PRIOR
WRITTEN NOTICE BE PROVIDED TO THE PARENT REGARDING
PROPOSES OR REFUSES CHANGES TO IDENTIFICATION, OR
PLACEMENT OF A CHILD OR FAPE
THE ROWLEY DECISION 1ST JANUARY, 1982
THE U.S. SUPREME COURT'S FIRST INTERPRETATION OF WHAT WAS
THEN CALLED THE EDUCATION FOR ALL HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
ACT (NOW THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT,
"IDEA"). "BASIC FLOOR OF RESPONSIBILITY" AND "SOME
EDUCATIONAL BENEFIT" A TWO PART TEST CAN BE IMPLEMENTED
NOW WHEN WORKING THROUGH SPECIFIC CASE ISSUES.

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 THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT 26TH JULY,
1990
THIS LAW PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BY YOUR EMPLOYER,
SERVICES RECEIVED BY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, IN
PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, TRANSPORTATION AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS. THIS IS KEY BECAUSE A PUBLIC SCHOOL IS
INCLUDED UNDER THIS LAW BY PROVIDING CIVIL RIGHTS
PROTECTIONS TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND NOT
DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF RACE, GENDER, NATIONAL
ORIGIN, AND RELIGION.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND 1ST JANUARY, 2001
THE SAID GOAL OF NCLB IS TO "LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD" IN
EDUCATION. THERE ARE SEVERAL STANDARDS SUCH AS ADEQUATE
YEARLY PROGRESS, USE OF "SCIENTIFICALLY BASED RESEARCH",
TEACHERS WHO ARE "HIGHLY QUALIFIED", EVALUATIONS AND
MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR PARAPROFESSIONALS. SANCTIONS
APPLY TO SOME OF THE ABOVE IF STANDARDS ARE NOT MET.

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 DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
TERMINOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS THROUGH FOR
EXAMPLE “MENTALLY RETARDED” HAS BEEN CHANGED TO
“COGNITIVE DISABILITY”. ELIMINATING IGNORANCE AND ARMING
PEOPLE WITH CORRECT INFORMATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING HOWEVER GIVING PEOPLE A MORE
DETAILED AND RELIABLE UNDERSTANDING OF INFORMATION
MAKES A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. • STUDENTS ARE IN THE LEAST
RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT NOW SO THAT WE ENSURE STUDENTS
ARE NOT UNNECESSARILY REMOVED FROM THE REGULAR
CLASSROOM OR ISOLATED FROM OTHER NON-DISABLED CHILDREN
OF THEIR AGE. •
SOCIETY HAS COME A LONG WAY AND IN 1961 PUBLIC SCHOOL
BUILDINGS STARTED TO REQUIRE RAMPS SO THEY COULD BE
ACCESSIBLE BY ALL. SPECIAL EDUCATION WAS NOT A MAJOR
CONCERN SOME 30-40 YEARS AGO BECAUSE DISABILITIES WERE
VIEWED AS JUST ANOTHER PROBLEM.

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NOW DISABLED PERSONS ARE ACCOMMODATED FOR EVERY
WHERE. SOCIETIES HAS COME TO SEE THAT A DISABILITY IS NOT
THAT DIFFERENT FROM GENERAL EDUCATION AND IS COMBINING
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. • THE EVENTS SHOWN IN THE TIMELINE ARE
EACH A STEP TOWARD PROVIDING A BETTER EDUCATION FOR ALL
PEOPLE TOGETHER BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MATTER ABOUT A
DISABILITY BECAUSE EVERYONE DESERVES AN EDUCATION.
CONCLUSION

SPECIAL EDUCATION HAS A LENGTH HISTORY HOWEVER EACH STEP

IN THE HISTORICAL TIMELINE HAS SHOWN THAT NO MATTER WHAT
WE WILL FIGHT FOR EQUALITY FOR ALL. EDUCATION HAS COME A
LONG WAY OVER THE PAST YEARS DATING BACK TO THE 1800’S.
EDUCATION WILL CHANGE AND WE AS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
WILL CHANGE AS WELL.

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SOURCES:

Moving From Special Education to An Inclusive Education Model

Introduction to Special Education-Teacher Ricci A. Mercado
Slide share/History of Special Education

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THANK
YOU
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