This document discusses the history, laws, and trends affecting early childhood special education. It outlines key historic events like the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975. Major laws impacting special education are also summarized, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, and No Child Left Behind Act. The document notes how these laws have improved support and protections for students with disabilities over time.

1. Early Childhood Special
Education
How history, laws and trends affect Early Childhood Special Education

2. Early Childhood Special Education
Overview
● Early Childhood Special Education is required by federal and state
laws
● Every disabled child should be provided with the appropriate
education based on their individual needs.
● The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is for 3, 4
and 5-year-old children with disabilities who require special
education
● The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) focuses on school
success as measured by student achievement. Also expand
options for parents and concentrate on school methods that have
been proven to work.

3. Historic Events
● 1965 - Bureau of Education for the Handicapped later named Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP) was started.
● 1972 - Court decides that children with disabilities should have an equal right to access
education.
● 1974- The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is passed, enabling parents to
gain access to their child’s personal information used by the school.
● 1975- the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA), is passed. Allowing all schools
to educate children with disabilities.
● 1990- The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) is renamed to Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
● 1993 - Parental advocacy groups are formed to push for federal help in the hope of fair
educational opportunities for their children with disabilities.
● 1999 - Americans with Disabilities Act is enacted allowing disabled children to become more
commonplace in school districts and gives parents and children certain rights under IDEA.
● 2001 - The No Child Left Behind law becomes enacted calling for ALL students to become
proficient in reading and math by the year 2014.

4. Laws
There has been many laws passed by the
government to better and protect Early
Childhood Special Education over the years. In
the next few slides I’ve highlighted some of the
main ones.

5. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973
● Prohibits employment discrimination against individuals based on
disability by federal contractors and subcontractors.
● This law is enforced by the Employment Standards Administration's
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) within
the U.S. Department of Labor
● Requires that federal contractors and subcontractors take
affirmative action to recruit, employ, train, and promote qualified
individuals with disabilities.
● The Rehabilitation Act has been amended twice since its inception,
once in 1993 and again in 1998.

6. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
(ADA)
● Is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain
circumstances, discrimination based on disability
● It provides similar protection such as the Civil Rights Act of 1954 which
made discrimination based on sex, age, race, religion illegal.
● Discrimination may include, among other things:
o Limiting or classifying a job applicant or employee in an adverse way
o Denying employment opportunities to people who truly qualify, or not
making reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental
limitations of disabled employees
o Not advancing employees with disabilities in the business, and/or not
providing needed accommodations in training materials or policies
o The provision of qualified readers or interpreters.

7. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
(NCLB)
● The aim of NCLB is to have all students performing at proficient levels in
the two educational cornerstones, reading and mathematics, by the year
2014. While at the same time closing the achievement gaps of students of
different genders or minority groups; students who are English language
learners or who are economically disadvantaged; and students who have a
disability.
● All states will implement statewide systems of testing and accountability for
all public schools and all students in order to provide a picture of how
successfully each school is teaching its established standards.
● To receive federal school funding, states must give these assessments to
all students at select grade levels.

8. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
of 2004 (IDEA)
● Is a law that ensures services to children with disabilities throughout the
nation.
● It addresses the educational needs of children with disabilities from age 3
to age 18 or 21. In cases that involve 14 specified categories of disability.
● Controls how states and public agencies provide early intervention,
special education and related services to millions of eligible infants,
toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.
● To receive federal school funding, states must give these assessments to
all students at select grade levels.
● The act requires states to provide "highly qualified" teachers to all
students. Each state sets its own standards for what counts as "highly
qualified"

9. Trends
The passing of many different laws over the years have
made a big impact in Early Childhood Special Education.
Parents receive more financial help towards their disabled
children, more teachers are receiving qualified training on
dealing with different types of disabilities, more disabled
children are getting the right help, children with special
education are treated equally and are being less
discriminated, teachers and parents communicate more
which helps with the child’s development and a lot more.

10. Our Job as Educators
Our Job as educators is to make sure the laws are being
followed and Early Childhood Special Education keeps
getting the support it deserves. It is very important children
with special needs receive special care and love at school
and home. Parents and teachers should always stay active
when it comes to communicating the child’s behavior and
changes

11. Sources
Anna Garefalakis
Sources:
● http://nichcy.org/laws/nclb/disabilities
● http://www.calstat.org/publications/pdfs/edge_spring_03.pdf
● http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-rehab.htm#overview
● http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act_of_1990
● http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act