Traitement moral, hygiène et éducation des idiots

Édouard Séguin's 1846 work, Traitement moral, hygiène et éducation des idiots (Mental Treatment, Hygiene, and Education of Idiots), pioneered modern educational methods for the intellectually disabled. Séguin believed that individuals with intellectual disabilities did not have diseased brains but rather suffered from arrested mental development. His approach focused on sensory training to help them function better in society. He opened the world's first school for the severely intellectually disabled in 1839, which gained international recognition and inspired similar institutions.1

It is important to note that the term "idiot" was formerly used as a technical descriptor but is now considered offensive when referring to individuals with extreme intellectual disability.2