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Foreword by Seymour Sarason
"An excellent overview of the field of early childhood special education . . . full of information that will be useful to both professionals in the field as well as those in teacher-preparation courses."
–American Journal on Mental Retardation
"There is enough here in this volume to encourage thoughtful reflection on what the past and the many heroes and heroines of the past have contributed to make us, and our field, what we are today."
–American Journal of Education
"Well-written and comprehensive . . . this book represents a valuable contribution to those interested in the historical aspects of disability, whether they be persons with disabilities, parents, researchers, policymakers, teachers, or other service providers."
–Teachers College Record
In their chronological portrait, the authors synthesize the many voices of exceptional children, providing a historical picture that includes not only the perspective of the professional, but also, to the extent possible, that of the "client." The book begins by placing the origins of special education in historical context from Aristotle through the Enlightenment and beyond. Subsequent chapters consider individual "conditions" traditionally associated with specialized approaches (e.g., blindness, deafness, and retardation), discuss conditions that have given rise to further differentiation of childhood exceptionality, and offer a synthesis of themes and a prospective for a "new history," now emerging, of children considered exceptional.
