In 1846 Howe convinced the Massachusetts legislature to allocate $2500/year for the teaching and training of ten retarded children.

After a successful experimental period, and institution was incorporated in 1848 under the name “Massachusetts School for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Youth”. It is now known as the Walter E. Fernald State School.

Howe’s efforts were followed by the establishment of additional training schools throughout the US through the 1870s

Realistic Optimism of Dr. Samuel Howe(1850-1870)

Difficulties in Coping with Urban Life and the Shift to Custodial Care

(1870-1890)

Quotes from documents Cited by Wolfensberger, W. (1969). The origin and nature of our institutional models. In Robert Kugel & Wolf Wolfensberer (Eds.) Changing patterns in residential services for the mentally retarded. Washington, D.C.: President’s Committee on Mental Retardation.

“Give them an asylum with good and kind treatment; but not a school.”

“A well-fed, well-cared-for idiot, is a happy creature. An idiot awakened to his condition is a miserab le one.”

“They must be kept quietly, safely, away from the world; living like the angels in heaven, neither marrying nor given in marriage.”

Difficulties in Coping with Urban Life and the Shift to Custodial Care

(1870-1890)

Isolation: Protection of the deviant from the non-deviantInstitutions were removed from population centers to pastoral surroundings described in idyllic terms, eg. “Garden of Eden”, “happy farm”

Enlargement: Benefits the retardates by congregating large numbers so that the could “be among their own type.”

Economization: Began with noble sentiment about the virtue of work for the retarded, but gave way to the view that they should be working to diminish the economic burden on the public.

H. H. Goddard's 1912 report of the Kallikak family

Martin Kallikak, a soldier of the Revolution, produced an illegitimate son with a retarded tavern girl. This son turned out to be retarded, too, and went on to produce a line of

prostitutes, alcoholics, epileptics,criminals, pimps, retardates, and infant casualties.

Social Darwinism and the eugenic alarm(1890-1914)

Three main alternatives for “purging from the blood of the race innately defective strains:

Marriage laws Sterilization Segregation

Social Darwinism and the eugenic alarm(1840-1914)

Specialized training through public schools

Heavy emphasis on community integration and supervision

Colony plan –prototypes of half-way houses and sheltered workshops

Beginnings of government support for families

Parole plan: retarded people were permitted to live in the community under the supervision of a social worker who took a personal interest in integrating them into the community

Slow development of community alternatives: Post-World-War I to 1950

National Association for Retarded Children: Advocacy group wielded great influence at local and national levels

Medical advances aiding survival of babies with biological defects

Local groups of parents developed community-based alternative services

1961: President Kennedy appointed panel to review conditions for retarded and presented: “A Proposed Program for National Action to Combat Mental Retardation

Landmark legislation: Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Ammendments Act (1963)

Application of behavior analysis to overcome learning and behavior problems experienced by people with developmental disabilities

Renewed Enthusiasm:1950 – Present

A Developmental Disability is a severe, chronic disability that: is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental

and physical impairments;

is manifested before the person attains age 22;

is likely to continue indefinitely;

results in the substantial functional limitations in 3 or more of the following areas of major life activity:

self-carereceptive and expressive languagelearningmobilityself-directioncapacity for independent livingeconomic self-sufficiency

reflects the individual’s need for a combination and sequence of special interdisciplinary or generic services, individualized support, and other forms of assistance that are lifelong or of extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.

Definition of Developmental DisabilitiesDefinition of Developmental Disabilitiesbyby

The Federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill or Rights ActThe Federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill or Rights Actof 2000 (Public Law 106-402)of 2000 (Public Law 106-402)

Developmental disabilities are a variety of conditions that become apparent during childhood and cause mental or physical limitation.

These conditions include pervasive developmental disorders such as autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation,

and other neurological impairments”

There are many causes of developmental disabilities that can occur before, during or after birth. Those occurring before birth include genetic problems, poor prenatal care, or exposure of the fetus to toxins including drugs and alcohol. Difficulties during birth, such as restricted oxygen supply to the infant, or accidents after birth can also cause traumatic brain injury resulting in developmental disabilities. Longer-term postnatal causes include malnutrition and social deprivation.

Definition of Developmental DisabilitiesDefinition of Developmental Disabilitiesbyby

New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (1999)(1999)

Americans with Disabilities Act1990 (Public Law 101-336)

Purposes:

 

I.  to  provide  a  clear  and  comprehensive  national  mandate  for  the  elimination  of  discrimination against individuals with disabilities;

 

II to provide clear, strong, consistent enforceable standards addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities;

 

III. to ensure that the Federal Government plays a central role in enforcing the standards established in this Act on behalf of individuals with disabilities;

 

IV. to invoke the sweep of congressional authority, including the power to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment and to regulate commerce, in order to address the major areas of discrimination faced day to day by people with disabilities

DSM IV: Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood or Adolescence

Mental Retardation (Coded on Axis II)

Learning Disorders

Motor Skills Disorder

Communication Disorders

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Attention-Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Feeding and Eating Disorders of Infancy or Early Childhood

Tic Disorders

Elimination Disorders

Other Developmental Disorders

Severe impairment pervades broad areas of social and psychological development

These include the following specific disorders: Autistic Disorder

Asperger’s Disorder

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Rett’s Disorder

Pica

Rumination Disorder

Feeding Disorder of Infancy or Early childhoodTourette’s Disorder

Chronic Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder

Transient Tic Disorder

Tic Disorder NOS

Communication, Coordination and Learning Affect listening, language and speech.

Expressive Language Disorder Mixed Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder (eye contact, repeating) Stuttering Vocalizations

Coordination Walking Arms Head Rocking Hyperactivity – running away, climbing

Learning Comprehension Processing Routine movements; change difficult Focus on specific objects – situations Fear of touch or need for constant contact Poor impluse control Hypersensitivity Inappropriate social interaction

What we do know• There is data on the efficient and safe evacuation of disabled people during

emergencies White et al. 2004) and crises (see Kailes 2002).

• In many places there is a lack of integration and co-operation between the various organisations that work with the disabled and the civil protection community which must plan for and manage emergencies.

• "Disabled people have been made more vul nerable to natural hazards through historical processes of exclusion and impoverishment.

• As a consequence, their experience of disaster may be more acute and long-standing than non-dis abled populations. These effects are accentuated in poor communities throughout the world where disabled people remain amongst the poor est of the poor.

What can you doProviding support

•The basic principles of assistance are not difficult.

•Procedures and services should be accessible in times of peace and in disaster.

•Emergency communications should be accessible, comprehensible and reliable.

•Agencies that support individuals with developmental disabilities should be involved in civil protection activities and in the emergency planning process.

•Education, education, education!

•Sensitise the mass media to their potential role as communicators of emergency information to the disabled.

•Be understanding of parents and family

When disaster strikes, disabled people encounter inequities in access

to shelter or relief and are often excluded from full participation in

response and recovery."Let us all work together to make

sure that is no longer true