The History of ADD and ADHD in Special Education
AD/HD is Considered an Impairment and Legally Part of IDEA Under OHI
Sep 14, 2009
Special Education has had a long and sometimes turbulent history. During the mid 1700s, the Age of Enlightenment, Europe began a methodical education of disabled people. Compassion became more popular and the movement to improve individual independence became more common.
By the mid 1800s, Eduoard D. Seguin created a method of structured learning to teach children with special needs. His ideals of rewards, negative effect of punishment and the importance of structure are still important in modern special education. In the United States, several similar types of schools were established around this time. By the beginning of the 20th century, mandatory education was more common as economics changed society and education became more standardized.
In the 1930s, the practice of moving children with special needs to separate classes became popular. The idea was that children with disabilities or those that could not keep up with standard curriculum would do better together with others in similar circumstances and allow other students to work at a faster pace.
As I.Q. tests became more common, students became even more separated. By the 1960s, the term special education was used and offered placement for students with varying disabilities and needs. However, there were no laws that required public schools to educate all students with any level of disability.
During this time, students who displayed symptoms of Attention Deficit were not being helped by placement into special education classes. These children were commonly deemed unruly or were classified as problem children.
Typical behaviors of ADD and ADHD include:
- Unique academic and behavior difficulties in school
- Difficulty with focus, trouble retaining valuable information in lessons or remembering instructions for assignments.
- Organizational problems, misplacing homework assignments, not completing work
- Inability to sit still
- Impulsiveness
- Trouble listening and hearing
Eventually during the 1960s, a disorder called "Minimal Brain Dysfunction" was diagnosed for children who today would be called Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD. The name then changed to "Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood." By the 1980s, symptoms such as lack of focus, spaciness, and impulsiveness were added and the disorder was given its current name of "Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without hyperactivity." According to American Psychiatric Association, this was documented in the DSM-III and ADD and ADHD were now two different diagnoses.
Parents and legislators in the U.S. began restructuring and even suing school districts, demanding that equal education be available to everyone. ADD and ADHD became part of the legislature in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, when the U.S. Department of Education added children diagnosed with AD/HD under “Other Health Impaired” (OHI) but the issue was not well defined.
New regulations implementing explicitly incorporated ADD and ADHD (referred to as AD/HD) in the IDEA Amendments of 1997, within the definition of “Other Health Impaired”.
Criteria for Students to Qualify for Special Education with ADD or ADHD
The following criteria apply for a student to qualify for special education under the OHI:
- The student must be diagnosed with AD/HD by the school district, or the school must accept the diagnosis rendered by another qualified professional
- The AD/HD must result in limited alertness to academic tasks, due to heightened alertness to environmental stimuli
- The effects of the AD/HD must be chronic (long-lasting) or acute (have a substantial impact) and must result in an adverse effect on educational performance;
- The student must require special education services in order to address the AD/HD and its impact.
Diagnosing and treating ADHD properly, early intervention and working together with educators allows students with ADD and ADHD to have the best chance for success in school. As more is understood about Attention Deficit Disorder and better diagnostic tools and treatment become available, the progression and advancement of help in schools will continue.
Source: The History of Special Education, from Isolation to Integration, Margaret Winzer. Gallaudet University Press; 1993
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