Historical Perspectives in Special Education A brief review

Ancient Views (BC) Seriously affected seldom survived birth Mildly disabled survived and contributed Belief in supernatural led to (2) different views: Demons; therefore kill them Unique; therefore revere and honor Regardless, those with disabilities were isolated

An Ethical Dilemma Over 400,000 babies are born in the US premature They are at risk for life long disabilities Often policy to resuscitate all babies weighing 1 lb or more

Greek and Roman Early: Away from supernatural to natural causes Holistic interventions such as: Diet Exercise Natural herbs etc Mind, body, spirit

Greek and Roman (con’t) Later in this period: Need for military superiority Therefore, needed society free of “defectives” Returned to previous views of disability Called Era of Extermination Individual is what he is, now and forever

Greek & Roman(con’t) Consequences of Philosophy: Punishment: Chaining Left on hills to die Thrown off cliffs Locked away Drown Father had right to terminate child’s life

Locked away Thrown off cliffs Chained Greek and Roman treatment of the disabled

Middle Ages Rigid caste system Era of Ridicule Those with disabilities were: Used as servants or fools Some were still put to death Dwarfs were used as clowns Overall, ridiculed for deformities and behavior

Middle Ages Becky Judy

Renaissance Era of Asylum Catholic Church accepts those with disabilities as wards of state Cared for in isolation No education at first, but humane treatment Belief: Once disabled, always disabled

Industrial Revolution Era of Education Need for mass education, literate society, and good workers Vocational Emphasis Sheltered workshops emerged

Early Education Efforts Itard-wolf boy, multi-sensory learning Sequin-training sequence Montessori-individualized and discovery learning These were some seeds of special education

Maria Montessori Eduard Seguin Jean-Marc Itard Pioneers in Special Education

Turn of the Century (early 1900’s) Early: Biological emphasis Institutional Care/medical model ’s some classes for the mentally retarded

Turn of the Century (con’t) Late: Environmental emphasis Veterans-rise in litigation and legislation Civil Rights movement in 50’s and 60’s

Contemporary Issues Inclusion Zero Reject Litigation/legislation Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Parents as equal members Collaboration between general ed and special ed