Introduction
Special education is a specialized mode of education concerned with imparting knowledge to individuals with special needs by looking at their specific individual needs and differences. Special needs include; physical disabilities (cerebral palsy, spina bifida and muscular dystrophy), emotional and behavioral disorders, communication disorders and developmental disabilities (such as intellectual disability). Individuals with; special needs learn through the aid of adapted equipment, planned and systematic teaching procedures to enable them to achieve learning success.
Brief History on Special Education
Special education can be traced to have begun way back in the eighteenth century. One recognized founding fathers of special education was Itard, a French-born nationalist who came up with a student-centered approach way of learning which stressed on analysis of each child education needs. Itard was a Chief Physician at the National Institution for the Deaf-Mutes in 1800, and it is during this period that he began taking keen interest in special human needs. While still practicing as a physician, Itard developed various methods and techniques for educating and treating individuals with special needs such the deaf.
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A breakthrough in the study of special needs in child development and education was realized in 1805 by Itard through his interaction and involvement with Victor, an eleven-year-old wild boy who was found roaming in the woods of southern France naked. Officials took the boy to Paris to study his primitive human mind. After years of intensive study of the boy, Itard came to a conclusion that the boy's mental health deficiency could have resulted from lack of exposure, communication, and interaction with fellow human being and which could be done away with over time. Itard performed an individualized education program to the boy to ascertain whether Victor's condition will improve. Individualized education programme developed by Itard became the basis and foundation of modern special education in the world (Dupuis and Marc, 2013).
Victor had sharp hearing and eyesight, but he could not speak clearly at the time Itard was studying him. Victor had non-existent sensory response to his new environment, and Itard argued that the boy could only learn after familiarizing with the immediate surroundings. Itard relied on, and placed a lot of emphasis on sensory training and stimulation mode of education to gauge whether victor will become responsive to the surrounding. Victor's inability to speak probed Itard to try to expose the boy to new ideas through culture and games to see if Victor will be able to communicate effectively through the use of pictures and words written in sheets of paper.
After five years of experimentation and study, Victor was able to read, speak few words and follow simple commands directed to him. This was a tremendous improvement and breakthrough in the race of human beings. Previously, before Itard conducted the study, communities shunned away children with mental deficiencies as they thought and presumed that it was impossible for them to learn and grasp any knowledge.
Itard's study results showed that a child's learning and development is a gradual process that goes through a series of steps and stages. A child's exposure, interaction, and socialization places a significant role in future learning and progress. Victor's case revealed that lack of interaction with fellow human beings through early developmental stages limited his ability to learn and speak numerous words thus limiting his childhood progress.
Important lessons can be derived from Itard's work regarding ways to deal with developmental delays in children caused by hereditary gene conditions or other social deprivations. The study had awakened and instilled a sense of hope to parents and families who have children with special needs that require special attention. It is now clear that mentally challenged individuals can learn and be educated when exposed an environment that is accommodative to their needs. Itard's sensory mode of training and education has a great positive impact on the history of special education has it has ensured that individuals with special needs can easily learn and acquire knowledge through education.
Laws on special education
Special education inception at the beginning of the nineteenth century, passed through various stages and challenges over a period of years to achieve its current status of acceptability. Before laws on special education were enacted, individuals with special needs in the society were being discriminated against, neglected and shunted away. Some people perceived individuals with special needs to be mentally deranged, and thus they could not be educated. In the eighteenth century, people with disabilities were accorded abusive treatment, put in solitary confinement and denied proper access to clothing and decent food. Parents and activists fighting for human rights pushed for equal treatment and inclusion of laws in the education sector which would ensure that individuals with disabilities are offered an equal, special and preferential type of education to enable them to gain knowledge. Since the inception of special education, various laws which are concerned with individuals with disabilities have been enacted to safeguard and protect educational interests of individuals with disabilities.
After public outcries for equal opportunities to people with disabilities, policy-making groups (such as the American Association of Instructors of the Blind and American Association on Mental Deficiency), educators (such as the Council for Exceptional Children), and parent groups (such as the National Association for Retarded Citizens) started showing some concern on ways to respond to educational needs of special groups in public schools. In 1975, Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) was drafted under Kennedy and Johnson administration and signed into law to offer children with disabilities legal rights to access education. Before the enactment of this law, children with disabilities were barred from attending school. The law ensured that children with disabilities have access to enriching environment which offers maximum interaction with non-disabled children (Decker et al., 2013). The law had a positive impact as it ensured harmonious interaction and co-existence between parents and disabled children by easing existing tensions and conflicts.
With gradual acceptance and absorption of children with disabilities in public schools, federal government dedicated itself in offering educational funding to states to ensure that each child with a disability gets the opportunity to access free, quality, a non-discriminatory and appropriate form of education in a less restrictive environment. To ensure that state schools follow the set rules associated with federal funding, the EAHCA act was reformulated in 1990 to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA advocated for the inclusion of parents in education decisions that directly affect their school going children. The emphasize on the use of Individualized Education Program (IEP) which would ensure that specific varying needs of children with disabilities are met, and parents have to approve the IEP adopted by schools (Burgstahler, 2015). The IEP formulated relied on factors such as; determining the mode of educational placement for children, and criteria to be used in measuring the performance of children with varying special needs. IEP also looks at yearly time length the children will be in school to ensure that each child receives educational program unique to his or her needs.
In the same year, 1990, after massive campaigns from lobbying groups (such as the American Association on Mental Retardation), and parent groups, another law which placed the education interests of the disabled individuals was enacted. The federal government passed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The scope of this law was broader and expanded beyond the availability of equal educational opportunities for the disabled. The law accorded same treatment and consideration of disabled individuals in accessing public facilities and services and to ensure equal employment opportunities for the disabled as well. Before the law was passed, individuals with disabilities faced a myriad of challenges in the employment sectors as employers presumed them unfit to work. With increased discrimination of the disabled in public sector accommodation, accessing public transportation services and in obtaining employment, the federal government passed a mandatory rule that ensured that disabled individuals incorporated in public sector jobs. Employers in public corporations are expected to adhere to the provisions of ADA or face being sentenced in a court of law.
After approximately five years, 1995, Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized under the leadership of President Bill Clinton and new amendments were included. I addition to championing for the rights of the disabled individuals, the re-commissioned IDEA main emphasis was on statewide and district-wide assessment of academic outcomes for disabled student's. The amended IDEA measured IEP long-term goals and objectives and assessment behavior of students with emotional needs with the intention of offering support to disabled students who learn and follow general school curriculum (Fine, 2014).
IDEA has undergone a lot of reforms which have ensured that individual with disabilities is accorded equal opportunities in education, employment, and various public functions. For example, in 2000, IDEA was amended to ensure that there are inclusive educational opportunities for disabled students in schools. Inclusive education has received tremendous support from activist groups lobbying for human rights, parent groups fighting for equal rights for disabled children. The American Congress ensured that the law is formulated to help meet unique needs of students with disabilities. The law ensured that students with special needs study in a regular classroom and are exposed to daily curriculum activities to a maximum extent.
In 2004, laws relating to education and disabled persons were formulated following the principles of scientific research interventions. The law formulated in 2004 was known as Response to intervention (RTI). The scientific interventions enabled early identification of special needs and behaviors of disabled students before the students are given special education services. RTI follows a multi-tier approach and follows a well-defined process (such as high-quality instruction and screening of disabled students in a general education classroom) which speeds the intensity rate of learning by students. The law ensures that the students are closely monitored by special teachers and educational specialists to assess individual student rate of performance. RTI ensures that there is maximum integration between general education and special education which makes it easy to monitor and evaluate the performance of students with special needs (Spaulding, 2015). For RTI to work efficiently and effectively, educational stakeholders must ensure that; there is high quality scientifically based classroom instructions, ongoing student assessment is mandatory and adequate parental involvement in delivering instructions and behavioral goals for disabled children.
Conclusion
Even though the laws on special needs developed and enacted by the federal government of America have helped reduce discrimination against disabled individuals in the community, there exists other major problems and challenges experienced by individuals with special needs. To achieve better and improved special education, the government should address the shortage of teachers and increase special education funding which will enable disabled students to access special learning materials. Civic education should be conducted to society members as well to sensitize them with issues on special education and ways in which they can handle children with special needs. The government should also impose tough punishment on an individual found culpable of mistreating children with special needs.
References
Burgstahler, S. E. (2015). Universal design in higher education: From principles to practice . Harvard Education Press. 8 Story Street First Floor, Cambridge, MA 02138.
Decker, S. L., Hale, J. B., & Flanagan, D. P. (2013). Professional practice issues in the assessment of cognitive functioning for educational applications. Psychology in the Schools , 50 (3), 300-313.
Dupuis, G. (2013). Jean Marc Gaspard Itard: entre autisme et surdi-mutité. Annales françaises d’otorhino-laryngologie et de pathologie cervico-faciale , 130 , 47-52.
Fine, M. J. (2014). The second handbook on parent education: Contemporary perspectives . Elsevier.
Spaulding, L. S., & Pratt, S. M. (2015). A review and analysis of the history of special education and disability advocacy in the United States. American Educational History Journal , 42 (1/2), 91.
