The document discusses the historical background of special education in the 1890s. It notes that the Egerton Commission was established in 1886 to review education for deaf, blind, and mute children. By 1888, the commission had expanded its scope to include children from "exceptional circumstances" requiring special education methods. Around this time, the idea of segregated special education was formed, laying the basis for the "special" label. By 1889, feeble-minded children were to remain in mainstream classes while educable-imbeciles were educated in special institutions, marking an early differentiation in placement.