 Instruction that is specifically tailored to the learning needs of a person with disabilities, regardless of whether they are in a classroom, hospital, or any public setting. Legislation from the IDEA strongly emphasizes that special education should not cost extra for parents of children with disabilities. 

Special Education Definition

People with disabilities of all kinds were sent to insane asylums, or specialized institutions where they lived and learned together. 

Institutionalization

The history of educational rights for children with disabilities dates back to the 1960s and 1975 when 45 states implemented funding and passed laws regarding special educational programs. 

University of Rochester

The establishment and expansion of schools or educational institutions that had the goal to serve people with disabilities in the United States of America.

History of Schools/Educational Settings for People with Disabilities in the United States of America

Martin, Edwin W., Reed Martin, and Donna L. Terman. (1996). The Legislative and Litigation History of Special Education. The Future of Children. Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 25-39. 

The legislative and litigation history of special education

The American School for the Deaf was the first educational facility/program that was established for people with disabilities in the western hemisphere. When it opened in 1817, the school taught French sign language, eventually evolving into American sign language (ASL). Not long after, it became the first school in America that provided education to people with disabilities that received public funds from the State. 

American School for the Deaf (1817)

Early Special Education Rights History

Len Barton drew conclusions between outdated (1900) sociological viewpoints on disabilities and the necessity to change policies surrounding educational opportunities for those with disabilities. He is an author of numerous books and journals, and helped lead the pathway for special education programs. 

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