| Special education has been assisting students with | | | | the government started programs targeting |
| learning disabilities in the United States education | | | | youngsters with potential learning disabilities. The Act |
| system since the end of World War II. The first push | | | | from 1975 was changed to the "Individuals with |
| for special education started when a group of | | | | Disabilities Education Act" (IDEA) in 1990. Since |
| parent-organized advocacy groups surfaced. In 1947 | | | | establishment of IDEA more than 6.5 million children |
| one of the first organizations, the American | | | | and 200,000+ toddlers and infants are being assisted |
| Association on Mental Deficiency, held its first | | | | each year. |
| convention. That marked a starting point for special | | | | Special education in schools often unintentionally |
| education as we know it today. | | | | overlooks a key aspect of why students suffer from |
| Started during the Civil Rights Movement in the early | | | | learning disabilities. The reasons for common learning |
| 1950s, the United Cerebral Palsy Association, the | | | | disabilities are weak cognitive skills. Studies show that |
| Muscular Dystrophy Association, and John F. | | | | 80% of students enrolled in special education at some |
| Kennedy's Panel on Mental Retardation were among | | | | level suffer from underlying weak cognitive skills. |
| an increased amount of advocacy groups for assisted | | | | Cognitive skills are the mental capabilities that one |
| learning programs. This strong push helped bring special | | | | needs to successfully learn academic subjects. In |
| education into schools across the country in the 1960's | | | | more detail cognitive skills are learning skills used to |
| as school access was established for children with | | | | retain information; process, analyze, and store facts |
| disabilities at state and local levels. | | | | and feelings; and create mental pictures, read words, |
| The parent advocacy groups dating back to 1947 laid | | | | and understand concepts. They are not to be |
| the ground floor for government legislation being | | | | confused with academic skills which would include |
| approved by Congress in 1975 that was called the | | | | subjects like math, science, or history. |
| "Education for All Handicapped Children Act" (Public | | | | Proper testing to identify these weak cognitive skills will |
| Law 94-142). This act went into effect in October of | | | | help quality learning centers put together a plan of |
| 1977 and it was the beginning for federal funding of | | | | action to strengthen them. This sort of training will last |
| special education in schools nationwide. The act | | | | a lifetime. By not targeting the cognitive skills a student |
| required public schools to offer "free appropriate public | | | | will struggle for the rest of their life until they are |
| education" to students with a wide range of disabilities, | | | | trained properly. It is highly recommended that you get |
| including "physical handicaps, mental retardation, | | | | your child tested at a learning training center that |
| speech, vision and language problems, emotional and | | | | provides cognitive testing. Once tested a personal, |
| behavioral problems, and other learning disorders." | | | | unique training program can be developed for your |
| The law from 1977 was extended in 1983 to offer | | | | child to overcome their learning disability. |
| parent training and information centers. Later in 1986 | | | | |