Early Childhood Special Education Overview

1. Running head: SPED 501 WEEK 1 ASSIGNMENT 1 FINAL
SPED 501 Week 1 Assignment 1 Final
Virginia Brown
SPED 501
Monday, February 10, 2014
Ronda Jones
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2. SPED 501 WEEK 1 ASSIGNMENT 1 FINAL
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An Overview of Early Childhood Special Education
A Brief History of Early Childhood Special Education
Early childhood special education has a complicated history. Few people were
interested or motivated enough to try to educate children with delays or special needs.
One of them was Jean-Marc Itard. In 1800, he worked with a boy, Victor, who had been
found living by himself in the forest. Victor was considered to incurable. Jean-Marc
Itard was unsuccessful in meeting all of his goals to help Victor but did put the wheels of
special education in motion.
Alexander Graham Bell addressed the National Education Association, the NEA, about
his concerns for educating people with special needs. Eventually, in 1897 the NEA set up
the Department of Education of the Deaf, Blind, and Feeble-Minded. It then became the
Department of Special Education.
In 1922, the International Council for Exceptional Children, the CEC, was formed and
became an advocacy group for children. This group was influential in providing support and
continues to provide support for with children with special needs.
When my parents were growing up in the 1930’s and 1940’s, children with special needs
were kept in their homes or were sent away to institutions. Here in Colorado, parents
wanted other options for their children. They felt their children had the abilities to learn
and grow and become contributing members of society. Preschools like Bal Swan in
Broomfield which opened in 1963, and the Tiny Tim Center, now TLC, in Longmont that
opened in 1956, were opened by groups of parents who wanted something different and
better for their children. These two preschools were therapy-based and provided
education for children special needs and their typically developing peers.
Since then, laws have been put in place to help ensure education for all, regardless of
ability. And, the way we look at and interact with children with disabilities has evolved.
One way is by referring to the person first and then to the disability. This is known as
person-first.
The Laws
One of the first laws is The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which prohibits a person from
being discriminated against due to a disability. In 2008, Section 504 of this law was
amended and is broader than IDEA. It helps provide services for children with disabilities
who do not qualify for special education.

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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, was enacted by Congress in
1975. The main focus was and is to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
for all students. This law did not originally include children of preschool age but did set
things up so that they would eventually be included.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 expanded the Rehabilitation Act of
1973. It calls for equality for people who have disabilities.
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) amended the Elementary and
SecondaryEducation Act. NCLB called for many changes to our educational system. The
requirements for assessment and for teachers changed dramatically. Under NCLB, all
teachers are supposed to be highly-qualified. Another change was children with special
needs are expected to complete and be held to the same standards as their typically
developing peers. This has been challenging for children, administrators, educators, and
families. It has been a controversial law.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 updated the original IDEA. Schoolaged children, ages 3-22, were included in Part B in 2006. Part B includes preschoolers.
Infants and toddlers, ages birth to age 3, as well as their families, were included in Part C
in 2011. As the laws are amended and updated, more children with special needs are able
to receive the education they need and deserve.
Trends in Early Childhood Special Education
There are lots oftrends in early childhood special education. Working with each
individual child isbe the focus. The individual needs can be met in many ways. Whether it
is with a Transdisciplanary approach where fewer members of the team interact with the
child and are sharing the implementation of the IFSP or IEP or an interdisciplinary
approach in which each specialist does his or her own job, collaboration is critical.
Another trend is developmentally-appropriate practice. Knowing what is typical for
each student at age, based on years of research, helps educators decide how to teach
young children and what experiences will help prepare them for their lives and for the
future educational experiences. Developmentally-appropriate practice is based in research
about how and when children do things and how to educate them while keeping these things
in mind. With the current “push-down” in education, teachers fear developmentally
appropriate practice is being set aside in many classrooms as students are pushed to learn
and do more and more every day.
Some other trends are standards-based lessons and evaluations.
Standards are based on peer-reviewed research and developmentally appropriate
practices.

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More Elements of Early Childhood Special Education
The least restrictive-environment is another important piece of early childhood
special education. The least-restrictive environment is mandated but is different for each
child. Inclusion, mainstreaming, and pull-out approaches need to be reviewed and revisited.
What worked last week or yesterday or even with the same subject with the same child
may not work the next day. It is essential to be able to read the children and understand
what each student needs and then adapt to meet the child’s needs.
There are many factors that influence young children’s development and learning.
Early experiences, stimulating environments, and deep, meaningful relationships with adults
and other people are critical components of successful early childhood education. These
things start before the child even goes to preschool.
Parts of these factors are social, emotional, and physical. Socialization helps young
children prepare for and practice their social skills needed for the greater world, the one
outside their own family. Social interactions between adult caregivers as well as between
siblings and other children in the household help the young child practice appropriate
responses and interactions. Children who are engaged with socially have been found to be
more supported and appear to be less at-risk.
Emotional support is part of this. Young children who are nurtured and supported
from an early age are more likely to take risks and have more confidence. They feel more
secure in their environments and tend to have less trouble with transitions.
Physical support is another key part that influences development and learning.
Children who are well-fed, clothed and living in a supportive environment are more at ease.
I know all of these components go hand-in-hand. It would be so amazing the progress
young children would make if all three came together at once.
Colin Powell spoke about young children also needing structure and discipline. He
feels they thrive in situations where they know what to expect and are supported.
Another important piece was when he spoke about reading to young children and how much
they need to know when they get to First Grade. (Powell, 2013) He called this “The Gift of
a Good Start;” structure, discipline, exposure to books and reading at an early age, (Powell,
2013.)

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Bibliography
Bartik, T. (2013, May).The Economic Case for Preschool [Video file]. Retrieved from TED
talks website:
http://new.ted.com/talks/timothy_bartik_the_economic_case_for_preschool
Cook, R. E., Klein, M. D., &Tessier, A. (2012). Adapting early childhood curricula for
children with special needs (8th ed.). Upper Saddler River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice
Hall.
Powell, C. (2013, January). Kids Need Structure [Video file]. Retrieved from TED Talks
website: http://www.ted.com/talks/colin_powell_kids_need_structure.html
The National Association for the Education of Young Children.https://www.naeyc.org/DAP
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.http://nichcy.org/laws