The constitution of the field of Special Education in Brazil: between times, places and people

Abstract

The first actions of what will be known later as "Special Education" occur as isolated initiatives executed by medical doctors, beginning in the 18th Century. Special Education historians usually consider Jean-Luc Gaspard Itard, a French psychiatrist, as the pioneer in the field, after he accepted the challenge to try to educate Victor, a wild boy found in the forest of Aveyron, France. The notes about the intervention were preserved, and it demonstrates the attempts to educate the child. In Brazil, it is customary to consider that the segment of Special Education started its journey during the Brazilian Empire days, with the creation of Instituto Nacional dos Surdos Mudos (National Institute for the Deaf-Mute), nowadays Instituto Nacional de Educação dos Surdos-INES (National Institute for the Education of the Deaf) and Imperial Instituto dos Meninos Cegos (Imperial Institute for Blind Boys), denominated since the beginning of the Republic as Instituto Benjamim Constant, responsible for educating blind individuals. However, the history of Special Education in Brazil needs to be better explored.