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Unit 3: Special Education: Scope and Types

selected food by smell. Itard could not make him normal, but he did dramatically improve his Notes
behaviour through patient and systematic educative procedure.
Seguin's Contribution: Seguin is known as the greatest teacher of the mentally deficient. Being
influenced by the achievements of Itard he established the first public school for the feeble-minded in
Paris in 1837. In 1846 he published his classic textbook Idiocy and Its Treatment by the Physiological
Method. His concept of education was the promotion of the harmonious physical, intellectual, and
moral developments of the child. His techniques and materials later become the basis for the so-
called Motessori Method. Seguin migrated to America and worked in collaboration with Samuel
Howe for the education of mentally retarded.
The sensational discoveries and revolutionary ideas of Itard, Seguin and their successors during the
19th century which have formed the foundation for present day special education are as follows:
(1) Individualised instruction for the mentally retarded children.
(2) A carefully sequenced series of educational tasks for the MR.
(3) Emphasis on stimulation.
(4) Meticulous arrangement of the child's environment.
(5) Immediate reward for correct performance.
(6) Tutoring in functional skills.
(7) A belief that everyone should be educated to the greatest extent possible.
(8) An assumption that every child can improve to some degree.

Itard was the originator of instructional devices, the inventor of behaviour
modification techniques, the first speech specialist, creator of oral education of the
deaf, and father special education for the mentally retarded and the physically
handicapped.

3.2.2 Special Education in America
It is true that much of the initial work in the development of special education took place in Europe.
But there were many Americans who contributed greatly during those early years.
Louis Braille's Contributions: Louis Braille was the most important figure in the history of education
of the blind. Braille, who became blind due to an accident during his early childhood, developed a
revolutionary system of reading and writing for the blind. The Braille method is still recognised as
the most appropriate method of reading and writing for the blind.
Howe's Contribution: Sullivan was a student of Howe. She was greatly influenced by her teacher's
training methods. Although she was visually handicapped, she served as Helen Keller's tutor. Helen
Keller was deaf-blind-mute. Sullivan's dedicated efforts could bring astonishing results. Helen quickly
learned the names of objects and events in her environment. By the age of ten, she learned to say
aloud "I—am—not—dumb—now". Later she became a graduate and wrote a number of books.
Galleudet's Contribution: Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet had keen interest in the education of the deaf.
He established the first American residential school for the deaf in 1817 in Hartford. The Gallaudet
College in Washington D.C., which is the only college for the deaf was named in his honour.

Self Assessment
1. Fill in the blanks:
(i) ........................ is known as the greatest teacher of the mentally deficient.
(ii) ........................, who became blind due to an accident during his early childhood, developed a
revolutionary system of reading and writing for the blind.
(iii) ........................ established the first American residential school for the deaf in 1817 in Hartford.

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