History of Public Schools: Special Education

History of Public Schools: Special Education

What is Special Education

In the United States, “the governing federal law is the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act (IDEA). Under this act, special education is defined as “specially designed

instruction, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability” 83 Usually

children that require special education services need support that extends beyond what is

typically offered in the regular classroom or school setting. The goal of special education is to

ensure that all children’s educational needs are met, no matter their state of disability. The IDEA

defines those with special education needs as anyone who has one of the following disabilities:

“Autism, Deaf-Blindness, Deafness, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual

Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Specific

Learning Disability, Speech or Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, or a Visual

Impairment.” 84

Students without any of the listed disabilities may still qualify for special education

services, specifically children with developmental delays, and “children at risk for disabilities in

the eligible group for special education.” 85 generallythese are the children who are a little

behind in development and are not achieving certain milestones within the educational

environment.

How do Students Obtain Special Education Services Parents and teachers both can make referrals for the need of SPED support. Parents

specifically, should have any required documentation or history on the child’s disability, if it is

known before attending a school. If not, usually a teacher will begin to notice the special needs

83 Watson, Sue. “What Does 'Special Education' ActuallyMean?” ThoughtCo, November 13, 2019. 84 Watson, Sue. “What Does 'Special Education' Actually Mean?” ThoughtCo, November 13, 2019. 85 Ibid.

child is being considered for special education services, they will be assessed and evaluated to

determine if they do or do not qualify for the services. If the child does qualify, an Individual

Education Plan/Program (IEP) will be constructed and put into place for the student. 87 IEPs

usually include educational and behavioral goals, objectives, activities and any other possible

support methods the child may need to reach their full potential within the educational

environment. 88 Over the course of the academic year,the IEP will be regularly reviewed and

adjusted based on the outcomes of the child and any advice from those doing the assessments.

History of Special Education Looking into a historical timeline of special education and how it has evolved will help to

instill the pressing issues that continue over time and how they have been designed for. The

Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was an act put in place in the United States that ensured civil rights

were given to disabled individuals residing in federally funded institutions or participating in

federally funded educational programs. 89 Next, in1975, the Education for All Handicapped

Children Act (EHA) guaranteed that all children with disabilities could receive a free,

appropriate public education, and provided funds to enable state and local education agencies to

agree to the new standards. 90 Later, in 1990, theAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA) “barred

discrimination in employment (Title 1), public services and transportation (Title 2), public

accommodations (Title 3), telecommunications (Title 4) and miscellaneous provisions

(Title 5).”91

86 Ibid. 87 Ibid. 88 Ibid. 89 Glavin, Chris. “History of Special Education in the US.” History of Special Education in the US | K12 Academics, February 6, 2014. 90 Ibid. 91 Ibid.

portrayed a large shift in the focus on the disability education system; in doing this they added

individual transition plans (ITP) for students transitioning “from secondary school to adult life or

post secondary education.” 92 More commonly known isthe No Child Left Behind Act that was

established in 2001, also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This act started

to look for accountability within academic performance of all students, and called for a complete

proficiency in reading and math of all students by 2012. 93

Charter Schools

Charter and magnet schools are a form of public education and are publicly funded and

by law must work to serve children’s needs. Usually, the size of the facility is smaller than a

regular school and can facilitate a teacher-student relationship by smaller class sizes. These

schools tend to “offer a more hands-on, service-learning educational model which can be great

for a child with hyperactivity or Autism.” 94 Someof the benefits of a charter-style school

include the ability to cater to a specific child’s learning styles and strengths in a way that public

schools cannot. 95 They are free and just as appropriateof an education as the local public school,

while it is a much smaller scale which is often more beneficial to students with special needs. On

the other hand, there are a few disadvantages to a charter school including the distance. Not

every town has a charter school and may require you to travel some distance for attendance. 96

The facilities also have a less flexible program and much fewer resources than the local public

92 Ibid. 93 Ibid. 94 Rudy, Lisa Jo. “The Wide Range of School Options for Children with Special Needs.” Verywell Family, June 13, 2020. 95 Ibid. 96 Ibid.