History of the Field of Special Education

All states in the United States made education compulsory for students in 1918. For students with disabilities, compulsory education was not enforced and they were often denied access to an education with their peers. The move in a positive direction in providing special education services to children with disabilities would take a series of events centered around litigation, legislation, advocacy, and research. That is how this chapter is organized by the authors. Issues with monitoring compliance with disability law, interpretation of legislation, distribution of resources, family involvement, access to individualized education programs, and inclusion of students with disabilities continue even today. The role of advocacy cannot be understated in ensuring access and acceptance of student with disabilities. While effective treatments for students with disabilities have been established, this knowledge and training on effective interventions is often not filtered to and within states and to more rural schools. Research-based interventions should be taught, implemented, and supported by all administrators and staff and parents should be equal partners in the education process as the field evolves.