From Isolation to Awareness (1821-1959)

Awareness Came Before Education In 1920's Missouri, most children with disabilities were neither seen nor taught.

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From Isolation to Awareness: Missouri’s Hidden Children (1821–1959)

For more than a century in Missouri’s history, children with developmental disabilities lived largely invisible lives. Most remained at home, hidden from public view, with no access to education, therapy, or community support. Families struggled alone, often receiving advice from doctors to institutionalize their children or simply accept that “nothing could be done.”

The Era of Institutions

When families could not care for their children at home, the only option was often placement in large public institutions. The Fulton State Hospital, established in 1851 and originally designed for adults with mental illness, became one of the few places in Missouri where children with disabilities might receive any care at all, though it was never designed to meet their needs (Missouri Department of Mental Health).

The language used during this period reflected deep misunderstanding of developmental disabilities. Terms that we now recognize as hurtful and inaccurate, words like “feeble-minded,” “idiot,” and “imbecile,” were clinical diagnoses used by medical professionals (Lael, Brazos, and McMillen). Children with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, and other conditions were often grouped together without recognition of their individual needs or potential.

These institutions were isolated, often located far from cities, making family visits difficult or impossible. Children grew up separated from their communities, families, and any chance at typical childhood experiences. The assumption was that these children could not learn, could not contribute, and should be separated from society.

Medical Misunderstandings

The early twentieth century brought little improvement. Medical understanding of developmental disabilities was limited, and many conditions went undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Autism would not be recognized as a distinct condition until the 1940s. The causes of intellectual disabilities were poorly understood, and interventions were virtually nonexistent.

Some children with disabilities died young from preventable causes. Others lived their entire lives in institutions, never knowing their families or experiencing school, work, or independence. This was accepted as normal and inevitable.

Seeds of Change

Even in this dark period, compassionate individuals began to question the status quo. In St. Louis during the 1930s, a remarkable innovation emerged: teachers began traveling to children’s homes to provide education to those who could not attend school.

These pioneering educators recognized what others had not: many children labeled as “uneducable” could, in fact, learn when given appropriate support. They brought books, materials, and most importantly, hope into homes where families had been told to expect nothing.

These home-visiting teachers were considered radicals in their time. They challenged the medical establishment’s assumption that children with disabilities could not benefit from education. They demonstrated that with patience, creativity, and individualized attention, children could make progress.

Organizations Begin to Form

By the 1940s and 1950s, small groups of parents and professionals began organizing. In Kansas City and St. Louis, parents of children with Down syndrome started meeting in church basements and community centers. They shared resources, supported each other emotionally, and began to imagine a different future for their children.

These early parent groups became the foundation for larger organizations such as The Arc, originally the Association for Retarded Children, which formed nationally in 1950 and established Missouri chapters in the 1950s (The Arc; St. Louis Arc). These parents laid the groundwork that would eventually transform how Missouri and the nation supported children with disabilities.

Why This Era Matters

Understanding this painful history is essential. It reminds us that inclusion is not inevitable. It is the result of hard-won advocacy and changing attitudes. The isolation children experienced during this era was created by policy decisions, medical assumptions, and social attitudes, all of which could be changed.

The home-visiting teachers of the 1930s proved that education was possible. The parent groups of the 1940s and 1950s demonstrated that families would not accept the status quo. These efforts created the first cracks in a system that had excluded children with disabilities for generations.

From this foundation of isolation and early awareness, Missouri would begin to build something better. But it would take parents, advocates, and visionary educators demanding change before that transformation could truly begin.

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