Special Education in the Context of National Development: The Case of Mexico.

Overview & Synopsis

The paper suggests that a general pattern of special education development exists and uses that historical perspective to create a context for comparison and understanding of the path of special education in the less economically developed country of Mexico. Drawing upon primary sources, it describes the evolutionary path of special education in Mexico and offers a rationale for the existence of any special education services within an environment of scarcity. The development pattern and country-specific data are then synthesized to create an example of commonality-based analysis of special education development. Such an analysis identifies weaknesses and strengths common to both the United States and Mexico, noting that problems in both countries' special education systems stem from the same lack of political will to fully implement existing universal special education legislation. A two-page bibliography concludes the document. (Author/CL)