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Early Learning for Students with Disabilities

Today in society children and adults with special needs are mattering to the government, and schools are trying to create an environment that allows them to participate in society.

  • A lot of early schools did not allow severely disabled students or those with multiply disabilities to attend. They did work with deaf, blind or mentally challenged children.
  • The Perkins School for the Blind was founded in Watertown, Massachusetts.
  • Not until the beginning of the 20th Century that community-based programs for children with special needs began to appear.

Legislation That Lead to Special Education Today

Legislation for people with special needs has been developing since the 1960's. During the 1960's many parent organized advocacy groups became vocal and attracted enough attention to change the legislation. Many different Acts and Public Laws here are the most important:

  • Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Section 504
    • All students can be apart of their education in their classroom. The child may be in a wheelchair but is mentally fine. This says that they do not need to be in special education.
  • P.L. 94-142, Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975
    • All people ages 3 to 18 are allowed a free and appropriate public education.
    • Appropriate means: suited to the disability age, maturity, and past achievements of the child and parental expectations.
  • P.L. 99-457, Amendments of 1986: Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
    • This established statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency programs of early-intervention services for infants and toddlers with handicaps and their families.

Categories of Disabilities

Through out the years many different special needs and disabilities have come up. Here is the list and some need explanations while others don't.

  • Autism: developmental disability affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3
  • Deafness
  • Deafness-Blindness
  • Hearing Impairment
  • Mental Disabilities
  • Multiple Disabilities
  • Orthopedic Impairment
  • Other Health Impairment: limited strength, vitality, or alertness, ADD may be classified here
  • Tourette's Syndrome: neurological disorder that includes repetitive, involuntary movements or tics
  • Emotional Disturbance
  • Specific Learning Disabilities
  • Speech or Language Impairment
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Visual Impairment, Including Blindness
  • Pervasive Developmental Disorders

If you want more information on a certain categories you can email or call me at anytime.

The Special Education Process...My Child in SPED

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