People with great concern to the children with disabilities or special need never give up and continually giving support. The battle of the children with disabilities cannot be understood unless the individual around them have the knowledge and concern. It is necessary to look deeper the history of special education in order to understanding the conditions of the children with disabilities. The history about the children with disabilities is the key to understand the children with disabilities through the events and laws concerning special education. Esteves and Rao emphasize that the events determined the evolution of special education, gradually and progressively. Before, most individuals named children with disabilities as retarded, disabled, or abnormal. However, through the development of special education, the terms have changed and greater awareness and care given to the children with disabilities. It implies that the evolution of special education serves as a good setting to understanding the ever-changing nature of the basis of special education, functional and effective. The further progress of knowledge about the essence of special education can help advocates and parents improve programs and care for children with special needs. A great understanding leads to a better perspective.
The exclusion of students with disabilities from the society is a depressing moment. The exclusion is a wide belief that the students with disabilities are best kept at the margins of the society. To trace back the legal history, in 1893, the exclusion of students with disabilities from public school education happened; Massachusetts Supreme Court upheld the expulsion of students due to poor academic ability. Similarly, the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied education to students with cerebral palsy because their condition produces a depressing and nauseating effect to the teachers and other children in the school. Consequently, this event has led to a significant court case to influence special education addressing racial segregation. The Brown v. Board of Education 347 U.S. 483 (1954) has established that the segregation based on race violates the equality of education opportunity. The decision opened the minds of the public to a clear and growing understanding that all individuals, despite of gender, race, or disability, have their rights to a public education. Evidently, the separation from other children can generate a feeling of being left behind or inferior affecting their personality, especially their minds and hearts. In addition, central to Brown, it is a constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law found in the 14th Amendment of the United States; never deny a person within the jurisdiction equal protection and citizenry. Thus, the decision in Brown led the parents to bring complaints against the school administrators for separating or excluding their children with special needs as an act of discrimination.
A federal involvement in the special education implemented the Expansion of Teaching in the Education of Mentally Retarded Children Act of 1958. The decree presented that the Congress provided the appropriate funds Expansion of Teaching in the Education of Mentally Retarded Children Act of 1958. Correspondingly, the National Defense Education Act of 1958 considerably increased federal funding for the education of children in public schools, especially those children with disabilities. Moreover, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provided supplementary federal funds to develop the special education. Later, an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act included Title VI (Education for the Handicapped Act), a funding for grants intended for programs for children with special needs.
Special segregated settings have advantages for children with disabilities. Tremblay explains that the special segregation provides the children with disabilities the great chance to a just and successful life. Additionally, it promotes cooperation rather than competition through physical and social learning and developing their skills in the environment that understands and accepts fully their conditions. The trained staff with specialized equipment and services can improve the skills of the children. It allows the children to participate in integrative ways. The children with special needs receive an individual attention and are easier to obtain compare in the environment where other none disabled children go. Carson emphasizes that the private placement has fewer opportunities to interact with nondisabled peers than in a public school’s special education program. Most importantly, the children can meet individuals with the same disability and who understand their condition.
Another major event is the Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley. The event is the first special education case to land in the United States Supreme Court; the court ruled that the students who qualify for special education services must have access to public school programs that meet their unique educational needs and that the programs must be supported by services that enable students to benefit from instruction. Thus, it provides the standard to follow when the free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities. The amendments to IDEA provide additional funding for the state and local programs and mandate services for traumatic brain injury and autism of children ages 3 to 5 years and the other existing categories. The IDEA focuses on providing access to public education services to providing meaningful and measurable programs for all students with disabilities. Furthermore, the law states that if students are not making sufficient progress toward meeting IEP goals, the plan must be revised. It entails that the IDEA requires the IEP team to specify conditions considering the decisions to address students with disabilities.
Today, special education programs are active in helping children with special needs. The more recent legislation is the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and IDEA 2004. It enhances the quality of special education programs at the state level. Specifically, the NCLB addresses the accountability for student achievement through the increased participation on statewide assessments. Highly qualified teachers are doing their best to assist the students with special needs and provide them excellent services in teaching special education. The NCLB and IDEA are exerting great efforts that the special education should continue to focus on producing results. When the individuals understand the history and approach of special education, they can understand the conditions of the children with disabilities or special needs that result in a better point of view.
Reference
Carson, C. (2015). Rethinking Special Education's "Least Restrictive Environment"
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