History Of An IEP | Special Education Decoded

The Special Education process we are familiar with today hasn't been around for too long... Plagued with issues, yes... but let's take a peek into what life was like BEFORE the first IEP was written, before the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and before IDEA (Individuals With Disabilities Act) was put into law... Before a focus on special education, life was pretty bleak for many children and adults who were viewed as being "different." Many years ago, there was a girl who fit the description "different" perfectly! She was born completely healthy, but her life quickly took a devastating turn, she lost both her ability to see and hear when she was almost 2 years old… Could you imagine? Being a parent of a sweet, hyper, smart little girl who all of the sudden lost 2 of her most important senses at the same exact time! Her parents were devastated, they searched for answers… but at that time, none existed. They scoured the country feverishly searching for something… ANYTHING that could help their beautiful little girl! Imagine what she was going through… at 2 years old, children can't really comprehend what's going on with their body… especially when she was able to both see and hear before she became sick… then both were gone. This amazing little girl grew to become unruly, out of control only adding to the lost, frustrated, depressed, and hopelessness her parents felt. Imagine, not being able to communicate with your own daughter… Years past and finally one day her parents found what they believed to be the answer… a communication expert who was up for the "challenge." After All… they had tried EVERYTHING but would continue to try anything that came their way. Because by that time, they had dedicated their lives to one cause... to help their daughter succeed! In a time when nothing was defined or available to children like this sweet girl, or anyone else who had often misunderstood "challenges..." Her parents were forced to fight alone… Lucky for us today… we are not alone, we have a path that's been forged by generations before us… Though not perfect, some would even argue that it's completely broken… filled with potholes, red tape, and even some roadblocks along the way... But it's still a defined journey, one subject to human error, lack of resources and too often… misunderstandings. I'm going to take you on a quick journey down the special education path that was created, leading us to where we are today... Specifically, how the IEP or Individualized Education Plan came to be…