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Special Education Timeline

  • Education for All Handicapped Children Act

    Education for All Handicapped Children Act
    PL 94-142. The creation of this act was to provide equal access to education to children with physical and mental disabilities in all public schools.
  • Hudson v. Rowley

    Hudson v. Rowley
    The court made a decision that the appropriate education for a child who is deaf with a disability does not mean that appropriate education will produce maximum achievement. Amy Rowley's parents were petitioning that if she was able to have an interpreter in school that her education may be heightened. The court decided that Amy's school had an individualized program for that met her needs and that she was achieving at or above the level of her classmates.
  • Public Law 99-457

    Public Law 99-457
    Public Law 99-457 are amendments created for EALHCA (Public Law 94-142) to mandate a free appropriate education to children ages 3-21, regardless of the severity of their disability. This law also gave states incentives for early intervention programs.
  • Timothy W. v. Rochester, NH

    Timothy W. v. Rochester, NH
    This case was between Timothy W. and the school district of Rochester, NH. The Rochester school district had determined that Timothy was incapable of utilizing special-education services due to the severity of his disabilities. Timothy's attorney filed the board had violated laws such as EAHCA, and that he was entitled to the special education services. The court ruled a "zero-reject" policy and that a students ability is not a prerequisite to benefiting from a special education program.
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
    IDEA was an amendment of PL 94-142- to ensure students with a disability are given a free public education tailored to their needs. This law also implemented national support programs such as Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), Individual Education Programs (IEP).
  • Americans with Disabilities Act

    Americans with Disabilities Act
    ADA was implemented to ensure that the rights of individuals with disabilities are nondiscriminatory in treatment in other areas of their lives. It also protects their civil rights in specific areas of employment, government, public transportation, and telecommunications.
  • IDEA amendments of 1997

    IDEA amendments of 1997
    IDEA received important amendments in 1997. The definition of disabled children was expanded to include developmentally delayed children for children between three and nine years old. It required parents to attempt to resolve disputes with Local Education Agencies and their schools. There was also another authorization for additional grants for technology, disabled infants and toddlers, parent training, and for training professionals.
  • No Child Left Behind Act

    No Child Left Behind Act
    The NCLBA supported standards-based education reform based on setting high standards and establishing measurable goals for improving individuals educational outcome. The act was created to help improve the academic performance of all students, including students with disabilities.
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
    IDEIA was created to promote accountability on results, parent involvement, more flexibility, and reduced paperwork for teachers. The four law parts were: A- administration, B- programs for school age and preschool children with disabilities, C- programs for birth to three years, D- investments in national studies, technology assistance, professional preparation, and research.
  • Rosa's Law

    Rosa's Law
    Public Law 111-256 was mandated to have "intellectual disability" to replace "mental retardation" in most areas of federal government. PL 111-256 was named after Rose Marcellino, a 9 year old girl whose family helped advocate the change in legislation.