Special Education History. 1945 – State legislation passed that requires PT and OT services provided by CCS no longer be provided in orthopedic hospitals, but instead, be provided in public schools. 1975 – P.L. 94-142 – Passed in the United States Congress called the Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA). This statute initiated the concept of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for children with special needs, due process, and related services to support the child’s education The IEP process regulations were promulgated in 1977. 1981 – In order to implement P.L. 94-142, the California Department of Education, Special Education Division, and the California Department of Health Services, CCS, signed a state interagency agreement to set the groundwork for cooperation and communication between the agencies and to provide guidance for state and local agencies until the California State Legislature could establish statutes. 1983 –P.L. 98-199 – Made amendments to EHA that included requiring the local educational agencies (LEAs)/special education local plan areas (SELPAs) to include transition services in the IEP planning. It also established the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to oversee state implementation of EHA. 1984 – AB 3632 – Chaptered into law as Chapter 26.5 of the Government Code. This statute established state and local interagency responsibilities for provision of educational and related services to children with disabilities. 1986 –P.L. 99-457 – Made amendments to EHA that included lowering the age of eligibility for special education services to birth, the concept of full inclusion, requirements for assessments, and increasing children’s/parental rights in the IEP and the individualized family service plan (IFSP) process and parental consent, and it established the early intervention program. 1987 – Emergency regulations for AB 3632 were promulgated and renewed each year with the budget act for ten years. 1990 –P.L. 101-476 – Made amendments to EHA that included assistive technology as a benefit for children with special needs and changed the name from EHA to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 1997 – AB 2726 – Was passed and effectively terminated the emergency regulations as July 1, 1997, and required that all agencies involved would promulgate final regulations. 1997 –P.L. 105-17 – Made amendments to IDEA that included increased state responsibility for insuring interagency agreements between agencies serving children eli...
