History of Special Education

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Running head: HISTORY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW History of Special Education Law Katy J. Kaldenberg Grand Canyon University: SPE-350 Special Education Litigation and Law Wednesday, May 23, 2012 History of Special Education Law The Venn-Diagram above compares the similarities and differences of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990, 1997, and 2004. Before 1975 many children that had special needs were denied access to public education (ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, R. A., 1987). Public education for children with special needs was made possible with the passing of the Public Law 42-142 also known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, R. A., 1987). Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 encouraged states to design programs that would meet the needs of children with special needs. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 required a child two meet two criteria. The child had to have one of the following disabilities: deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, mentally retarded, multiply handicapped, orthopedically impaired, other health impairment, seriously emotionally disturbed, specific learning disability, speech impairment, and visually handicapped (ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, R. A., 1987). The second criteria was that the child must require special education and related services. This meant that not all children with special needs would need special education (ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, R. A., 1987). The Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 set out to give all children from age five to age twenty one, with special needs, a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) (ERIC Clearinghouse
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