ABSTRACT
Special education in the United States has made significant transformations over the past several hundred years. While today's, students with disabilities are generally served effectively, this has not always been the case. During the early part of the twentieth century, more children with disabilities were recognized as needing special education. The civil rights movement provided an avenue for persons with disabilities to demand their rights under the Constitution. The eugenics movement resulted in several thousand individuals with disabilities being involuntarily sterilized. Several court cases in the 1970s mandated equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities. The Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) of 1970 was the forerunner to Public Law 94-142. Public Law 94-142 has been reauthorized numerous times and remains the foundation for current special education policy and services. The 1990 re-authorization changed the name of the law to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
