A History of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

This chapter traces the history of the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the early part of the twenty-first century. The earliest attempts at habilitation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities began in France in the early 1800s and spread to the United States in the mid-1800s. The last half of the nineteenth century saw a rapid growth of state-run institutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the United States, along with changes in the purpose of such institutions, from habilitative to ensuring segregation. Over the first half of the twentieth century, institutions grew, and conditions worsened such that in the mid-1900s, a parent movement emerged that created a community-based system. In the last few decades of the twentieth century, a self-advocacy movement was established, providing opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to have a voice in their lives. The chapter concludes with suggestions as to what the history of the field teaches us for today and the future.