Special Education and Professional Development

Special Education and Professional Development
History of Education comprises the development of the educational theory and evolution of educational ideas and practice from the beginning of human civilization to the present day. In the past, education was perceived as the cause of the change in society, culture, and individuals. During the era of the Roma Empire and early Christianity, education was regardless as a voice of God. It has undergone tremendous reformations and advancements in different times in society. Education in the Middle Ages became a critical force for Heresy Movements. In the 16th century, education flourished when rich people founded grammar schools. In this century, many children learned to read and write with a hornbook. Consistent improvement in education was experienced in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th and 20th centuries, education improved significantly. Most countries began to take responsibility for education and development of advanced systems, including introducing better reading and writing materials, universities, and tertiary institutions.
Special Education is an education system specially designed to achieve the special needs of a child with a disability. It is a tool in which children living with disabilities have an opportunity to receive education specially designed to help them achieve their learning potential within the public education system. In the early days of exceptional education development, the focus was on adults with disabilities. However, in the 19th century, attention shifted to children after professionals took up the case. A French physician helped a child with special needs in 1800. The children were deaf and mute, which triggered the doubts of many professionals concerning the boy's potential to learn. Despite the frustratingly slow process, the child learned numerous aspects, including functional skills like dressing, personal hygiene, social expectations, and speech. In the mid-19th century, another professional advanced special education through psychological approaches.
The idea of supporting children with special needs through education was adopted in the United States in the 19th century. Cleveland, Ohio, established the first particular class in 1875. Later in the 20th century, other special education institutions were developed in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. The laws protecting children with disabilities began to grow in the 1950s when professionals questioned the separation of classes of regular and special needs. At the same time, other professionals considered other discriminating factors like stigma and labeling. Courts cases pushed the development process of formulating special education. An example is the cases of “Pennsylvania Association for Mentally Disabled Children v. the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Mills v. Board of Education, and Diana v. State Board of Education of California.” In 1965 the first federal law called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act addressed the education of physically challenged children.
Understanding the history of education is critical because it helps teachers to appreciate the diverse aspects of their past educational development process and link them to the present. The accoun...