Education of the Handicapped Act and its Impact

771 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Early intervention

In 1975, the Education of the Handicapped Act (PL 94-142) was established; this act gave the right for “all children to a free and appropriate education, regardless of handicapping conditions” (BOOK). However, before this act, children with disabilities did not attend school consequently, in 1986 congress amended PL 94-142 and extended this law to what is known as the Handicapped Infants and Toddlers Act of 1986 (PL 99-457). Before the implementation of PL 99-457 early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities were not part of the legislation.
The Handicapped Infants and Toddlers Act provides states the opportunity to grant early intervention to a group of infants not previously identified by the service system, thereby preventing delay. PL 99-457 has two parts: Part B and Part H. Part B extended the rights of PL 94-142 to children ages 3 to 5 years of age. Part H included an early intervention services to children from birth to 2 years of age. PL 99-457 main purposes included “(1) enhance the development of handicapped infants and toddlers, (2) minimize the need for special education costs after handicapped infants and toddlers reach school age, (3) increase the capabilities of handicapped individuals so they can live more independently, and (4) enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infants and toddlers with handicaps” (GLORIA).
Demographically, PL 99-457 focused on children who suffered from developmental delays and that were diagnosed with physical and mental conditions or those who had conditions that typically might result in delay. According to Samuel J. Meisels, “several researchers have suggested that early intervention is justified in part by the potential of the...

... middle of paper ...

... PL 99-457 […] presents many challenges for it requires communication and coordination between two complex systems—the health system and the education system” (MORSE). The health system (Title V) and the education system (PL 94-142) ultimately ran into problems because the health system and education system, both with different knowledge and training, could not deviate from their professional background even though their end plan would result in what is in the best interest of the client.
Collaboration among all interagency and multidisciplinary and contributing providers such as the educators, mental health professionals, families and other early childhood workers is what the Handicapped Infants and Toddlers Act, especially Part H, represent. Each participating providers have the same, ultimate goal and that is to provide the best service possible to the client.

Show More
Related

  • Special Education: Examining the Pros and Cons of Inclusion in Education

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    “to the maximum extent appropriate, handicapped children, including those children in public and private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not handicapped, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of handicapped children from regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the handicap is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. (P.L 94-142, Section 1412) (Villa p. 5).

    Read More

  • Inclusive Education In Australia Essay

    1314 Words  | 3 Pages

    These children were now being seen as a group in which society had obligations to provide “normalisation” (Bowe, 2007, p.45) and would lead to a revolutionary law being introduced in America. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed in 1975, of which Australia became a signatory. (AIHW, 2004). This Act mandated “that all school-age children with disabilities must receive a free appropriate public education” (Bowe, 2007, p. 101) “in the least restrictive environment” (Bowe, 2007, p. 5). For the first time in a century, Australia no longer segregated these children into an isolated “special facility” (Allen & Cowdery, 2012, p. 8). State governments established special education units within mainstream schools (AIHW, 2004). This is referred to as Integrated education and is described by Talay-Ongan & Cooke (2005), as an environment “where children with similar disabilities in special classes share the normal school environment, and utilise some classes (e.g., art or physical education) or the playground that all children enjoy.” In 1992, the Disability Discrimination Act was introduced in Australia which specifically covered the topic of Education and in 2005 a set of supplementary standards was passed which specifies the support schools are required to provide to students with a

    Read More

  • Public Law 94-142

    1149 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to LD Online (2015), Public Law 94-142, also known as Education for all Handicapped Children Act (EHA), was passed in 1975. Since then, the law has taken on many changes in order to improve its effectiveness, and is now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 04). The original Public Law 94-142 guaranteed a free and appropriate public education to each child with a disability from the age 3 to 21 (LD Online, 2015). It is required to make efforts towards improving how children with disabilities are identified and educated, as well as provide evaluations for the success of those efforts. Furthermore, the law provided due process protections

    Read More

  • Civil Rights for the Disabled: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

    2324 Words  | 5 Pages

    I. Identification and Overview of the Policy. After years of discrimination, it looked as though people with disabilities would finally find justice. In 1968, a bill was proposed that would enable people with disabilities to seek protection from the government. One would think that this bill would be welcomed into our society, but the events that followed proved quite the contrary. It took five years, three changes of administration and two presidential vetoes to pass the Rehabilitation Act.

    Read More

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

    1464 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is one of the most significant laws in American History. Before the ADA was passed, employers were able to deny employment to a disabled worker, simply because he or she was disabled. With no other reason other than the person's physical disability, they were turned away or released from a job. The ADA gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The act guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications. The ADA not only opened the door for millions of Americans to get back into the workplace, it paved the road for new facilities in the workplace, new training programs, and created jobs designed for a disabled society (Frierson, 1990). This paper will discuss disabilities covered by the ADA, reasonable accommodations employers must take to accommodate individuals with disabilities, and the actions employers can take when considering applicants who have disabilities.

    Read More

  • Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

    751 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination based upon their disability (Bennett-Alexander, 2001). The protection extends to discrimination in a broad range of activities, including public services, public accommodations and employment. The ADA's ban against disability discrimination applies to both private and public employers in the United States.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Autism

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cognitive; thinking learning, solving problems. Communication; talking, listening, understanding. Social/Emotional; playing, feeling secure and happy. Examples of early intervention services: If an infant or toddler has a disability or a developmental delay in one or more of the developmental areas. That child will likely be eligible for early intervention services. Those services will be tailored to meet the child's individual needs that may include: assistive technology, Audiology or hearing services, speech and language services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services.. Services may also be provided to meet the child's family's needs. Family directed services are meant to help family members understand the special needs of their child and how to enhance his or her development. Your child's presents physical, cognitive, communication, social/emotional, and adaptive. Development levels and needs. Family information, including the resource priorities and concerns of you, as a parent, and other family member

    Read More

  • The Americans With Disabilities Act

    2763 Words  | 6 Pages

    "The Americans With Disabilities Act is one of the most significant laws in American History. The preamble to the law states that it covers 43,000,000 Americans."(Frierson, p.3) Before the Americans With Disabilities Act(A.D.A.) was passed, employers were able to deny employment to a disabled worker, simply because he or she was disabled. With no other reason other than the persons physical disability were they turned away or released from a job. The Americans With Disabilities Act prevented this type of discrimination by establishing rules and regulations designed to protect persons with physical disabilities. With a workforce made up of 43,000,000 people, it is impossible to ignore the impact of these people. The Americans With Disabilities Act not only opened the door for millions of Americans to get back into the workplace, it is paving the road for new facilities in the workplace, new training programs and creating jobs designed for a disabled society.

    Read More

  • IDEA Individuals With Disabilities Education Act

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1991 the Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was replaced by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This law was passed to provide free and appropriate public education to every child with a disability. It requires that each child with a disability “have access to the program best suited to that child’s special needs which is as close as possible to a normal child’s educational program” (Martin, 1978). The Individualized education program (IEP) was developed to help provide a written record of students’ needs and procedures for each child that receives special education services. The IEP will list all the services to be provided, the student's performance level, academic performance, and modifications in place for the student.

    Read More

  • disabilities in america

    564 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 21 May 2014

    Read More

  • The Rehabilitation Act of 1973

    1092 Words  | 3 Pages

    Prior to 1975, educational options for a child living with a mental or physical disability were limited. The family of the handicapped child was most likely forced down an path that lead to the institutionalization of the child and distancing the child from the benefits of receiving a free and public education. It was after federal legislation passed the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. § 1983) that monumental changes began to develop that allowed a better understanding of the needs and capabilities of people with various handicapping conditions. Soon after this legislation, Public Law 94-142, also known as the Education for all Handicapped Children’s Act of 1975 (EHA) would further increase the public awareness by providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children suffering from disabilities. Following the EHA legislation reformations concerning the education of disabled individuals would soon become numerous and legislative acts were passed enabling accommodations for disabled individuals in the fields of vocations and technology. In 1990, President Gerald Ford signed legislation replacing P.L. 94-142 with the Individual with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA, 20 USC 1400). By definition, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation (US Department of Education, 2011).

    Read More

  • Early Intervention Services

    1442 Words  | 3 Pages

    Early Intervening Services is a hot topic and nonetheless relevant topic for us educators. Early Intervening Services is essential for all students to succeed. “The concept of early intervening services was introduced into public school systems with the implementation of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004” (Mire & Montgomery, 2009). Administrators need to adhere to the educational laws so that all children have the right to learn and grow with their peers in an educational setting. One change in the law is this emphasis of intervening early to meet the needs of children at risk of not succeeding in the classroom. A common thread with the research articles I’ve selected is this notion of effectiveness. Dickman’s (2007) formula and the provided description of IDEA: Early Intervening Services ( ) both support the non negotiable pieces of the puzzle in order to have an effective approach when providing Early Intervening Services. The research heavily emphasizes the importance of Early Intervening Services must be provided with scientific research-based, training to carry out the program, and informed environment. The research strongly suggests that all three are essential to meet the expectations of Early Intervening Services. Dickman’s vital points do align with the definition of IDEA. In Neuman’s (2007) Changing the Odds article, identifies effective principles to an intervention just like Dickman; she also agrees professional training is key to effective Early Intervening Services. Although, her attributes for an effective intervention consist of eight principles and his consist of three, both of them strongly believe children can succeed when provided effective early intervention services by...

    Read More

  • Discipline and Students with Disabilities

    913 Words  | 2 Pages

    Public Law 94-142: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, now called Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requires states to provide free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for every child regardless of disability. This federal law was the first to clearly define the rights of disabled children to receive special education services if their disability affects their educational performance. A parent of a special education student also has basic rights under IDEA including the right to have their child evaluated by the school district and to be included when the school district meets about the child or makes decisions about his or her education. If a child is identified as in need of special education services, the school district must devise a written individual education program (IEP) for the child, which includes related services. An IEP is a statement of a student’s special education and related services including speech services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, counseling and assistive technology and transportation. In addition, this legally binding, individualized plan outlines reasonable educational goals for the student and is reviewed and updated yearly.

    Read More

  • Inclusion in the Classroom

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    Klein, M. D., Cook, R. E., & Richardson-Gibbs, A. M. (2001). Strategies for Including Children with Special Needs in Early Childhood Settings. Albany, NY: Delmar.

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Special Education

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    In society today, there are many children and parents who face the diagnosis of having a developmental disability that would qualify them for special education and needs. This time can come with many questions for the parents when they realize the specialized care and education their child will need. Most often, questions arise about their schooling and how they will be included with other children, as well as what services are available to their child. How their disability impacts their life is a very valid concern because their education will be impacted. When a disability is discovered, it effects trickle down from the child to the parents, to the teachers and finally the medical and educational specialists.

    Read More

More about Education of the Handicapped Act and its Impact

Open Document