History of Special Education Essay

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Pages: 5

History of Special Education The field of education has been around for a very long time, but special education has not always been around. In fact, for many years it wasn’t even accepted in the world of education. In the past, students with special needs were often not allowed to go to public school because of their disabilities. However, in today’s world, they have a right to free public education and most of the time benefit greatly from some of the resources that are available. Special education has come a long ways over the years and still has room for growth and improvement. There have been many court cases that have led the field of special education where it is today. In 1892, Homer Plessy, an African American man, bought a …show more content…
It was also the foundation for what later became what is known as IDEA. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) came about due to modifications to PL 94-142. IDEA is still in effect today and greatly influences many things that are done throughout special education. IDEA protects the students and also give the parents and students more of participation in the special education services process. They are equal partners in the education process (Daigle, 2011). The No Child Left behind Act (NCLB) has been one that there has been a lot of controversy over. Signed by President George A. Bush, this law started making schools accountable for their students’ progress academically each year. Students are tested and to keep Title 1 money must score at a proficiency level. This has been hard for some as students with disabilities aren’t hitting the proficiency levels but it has helped in the fact that teachers are looking for ways to better help these students learn skills and materials they need. Over the course of many years, there have been many changes and additions to the terminology that is used in special education. When special education was just coming about, the terms weren’t very professional and were often degrading to those who had disabilities. The focus was more on the disability than it was the person. However, as time has gone on, society has taken a more