History of Special Education Law

History of Special Education Law

Grand Canyon University SPE 350

March 17, 2013

Venn Diagram

Many influences have been established to create an equal education for all students across the board. Various legal actions have occurred to shape the education system to the current form as seen today. The enclosed Venn-Diagram sizes up the countless differences and similarities amongst the two influential acts. Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 are two acts composed to provide a quality education to special education students. A main goal of both of these acts were to provide families with disabled students a free education as well. Obviously, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act occurred in 1975. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was first introduced in 1990 and revised in 1997 and 2004.

Prior to 1975, numerous children requiring special needs services in the classroom to succeed were denied access to special education resources ( ERIC, 1987). By passing the Public Law 42-142, also referenced as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, a public education was manufactured for students requiring a special education program ( ERIC, 1987). This act promoted each state to design specific education programs to adequately meet the needs of students requiring special education.

The Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 was one of the first legislation acts that focused on the many issues that encompassed children with special needs. For students to benefit from the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, they must meet two of the required criteria to qualify for special education. The first area of criteria a student is required to meet is to be diagnosed with a disability. The qualifying disabilities are as follows; visually handicapped, speech...