Special Education Association

The Verband Sonderpädagogik e.V. (vds), known in English as the Special Education Association, is a German professional association for special-needs education (Sonderpädagogik) and inclusion. It was founded on 12–13 April 1898 in Hannover as the Verband der Hilfsschulen Deutschlands (VdHD) by teachers and school inspectors, with Albert Wehrhahn as first chairman and Heinrich Kielhorn as his deputy. Its original purpose was to establish and spread Hilfsschulen (auxiliary schools) based on the concept developed by Heinrich Kielhorn in Braunschweig, as an alternative to institutionalizing children who struggled in the Volksschule. The association was dissolved on 17 September 1933 and incorporated into the Reichsfachschaft V (Sonderschulen) of the National Socialist Teachers' League. After the Second World War it was re-established and in 1955 renamed Verband deutscher Sonderschulen. In 2008 it adopted its current name, Verband Sonderpädagogik e.V., to signal a shift away from a narrow focus on "Sonder" or "Förderschulen" toward broader areas of special-needs support and inclusion. Today the vds has around 7,000–8,000 members organized in 16 state associations (Landesverbände). Its members come from various special-needs and social-pedagogical professions and work with disabled or disadvantaged children, adolescents and young adults across all levels of the education system. The association publishes the Zeitschrift für Heilpädagogik (ZfH), described as Europe's highest-circulation monthly specialist publication in its field and indexed in the European Index for the Humanities. It also runs its own education academy offering continuing professional development, and organizes annual nationwide specialist congresses as well as the Sonderpädagogischer Kongress in Weimar every three years. The vds promotes early-career academics and maintains national and international contacts, with teacher education a central theme of its European networking.

The Verband Sonderpädagogik e.V. was founded on 12–13 April 1898 in Hannover as the Verband der Hilfsschulen Deutschlands (VdHD) by teachers and school inspectors. Its founding was preceded by a debate over whether "weakly capable children" who failed in the Volksschule should be sent to closed institutions; the founders answered with a clear "No," arguing that institutional education would separate children "more or less from public life." Instead, Hilfsschulen were to be established, and promoting this was one of the VdHD's most important tasks. Albert Wehrhahn was elected first chairman, with Heinrich Kielhorn as his deputy; Heinrich Strakerjahn was among the founding members. Wehrhahn remained chairman until 1924 and then became honorary chairman. The last chairman before dissolution was Gustav Lesemann. On 17 September 1933 the association was dissolved and incorporated into the Reichsfachschaft V (Sonderschulen) of the National Socialist Teachers' League. Party members Martin Breitbarth, Willibald Friederici and Karl Tornow were instrumental in this incorporation, using "a mixture of deception and coercion." The Reichsfachschaft V was chaired by the deaf-mute teacher Paul Ruckau, later replaced by Fritz Zwanziger. The dissolution coincided with a paradigm shift: whereas previously the focus had been on combating "inferiority" through remedial-pedagogical means, from 1933 the concept of excluding the "ineducable," propagated by Gregor, Villinger and Schröder, took over. The Hilfsschule was to become a performance school, not a remedial-pedagogical institution. After the Second World War the association was re-established. In 1955 it was renamed Verband deutscher Sonderschulen. In 2008 it adopted its current name, Verband Sonderpädagogik e.V., a change intended to reflect a paradigm shift: the association's efforts would no longer focus exclusively on "Sonder" or "Förderschulen" but also on other areas of special-needs support. The association's early publication organ was Die Kinderfehler, later renamed Zeitschrift für Kinderforschung. From 1908 the VdHD's organ was Die Hilfsschule, edited by August Henze, which after the "Gleichschaltung" of 1934 was merged into Die deutsche Sonderschule, edited by Karl Tornow. Today the vds publishes the Zeitschrift für Heilpädagogik (ZfH), described as Europe's highest-circulation monthly specialist publication in the field and listed in the European Index for the Humanities. From the outset, the association saw it as one of its essential tasks to ensure that disabled children were cared for, taught and educated by specially qualified teachers. The path to full university training was long and arduous. Today the vds has around 7,000–8,000 members in 16 state associations. Its work covers all aspects of educational support for people with restricted participation in education, based on a broad concept of inclusion. Members come from various special-needs and social-pedagogical professions. The association runs its own education academy with a wide range of continuing education offerings, organizes annual nationwide specialist congresses and, every three years, the Sonderpädagogischer Kongress in Weimar, which is known and in demand beyond state borders. It promotes early-career academics and maintains international contacts across Europe, with teacher education at the center of its networking.

• Founded in Hannover as Verband der Hilfsschulen Deutschlands (VdHD) by teachers and school inspectors.

• Albert Wehrhahn elected first chairman; Heinrich Kielhorn deputy; Heinrich Strakerjahn among founding members.

• Die Hilfsschule becomes the association's organ, edited by August Henze.

• Albert Wehrhahn steps down as chairman and becomes honorary chairman.

• Association dissolved and incorporated into the Reichsfachschaft V (Sonderschulen) of the National Socialist Teachers' League.

• Die Hilfsschule merged into Die deutsche Sonderschule after Gleichschaltung.

• Renamed Verband deutscher Sonderschulen.

• Renamed Verband Sonderpädagogik e.V., reflecting a broader focus beyond Sonderschulen.

Germany's leading professional association for special-needs education and inclusion, combining advocacy, publishing, continuing education and academic networking.

• Zeitschrift für Heilpädagogik (ZfH)

  Monthly specialist publication, described as Europe's highest-circulation in the field, indexed in the European Index for the Humanities.

• Bildungsakademie continuing education

  Wide range of continuing education offerings through the association's own academy.

• Sonderpädagogischer Kongress

  Held every three years in Weimar, known beyond state borders.

• Annual nationwide specialist congresses

  Several nationwide specialist congresses held each year.

1. 1Startseite - Verband Sonderpädagogik e.V.verband-sonderpaedagogik.de
2. 2Verband Sonderpädagogik – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
3. 3Special Education Association – Wikidatawikidata.org