Before itard: intellectual disability and the enlightened voice of Daniel Defoe.
Daniel Defoe made the case for humane education and anti-stigma practice in the 1700s—today’s BCBAs walk that same path.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Giofrè et al. (2014) dug into 1700s essays by Daniel Defoe. They show he asked for kind teaching and respect for people with intellectual disability.
The paper is a story review, not a lab study. It places Defoe’s words 75 years before Itard, the French doctor often called the first special educator.
What they found
Defoe already argued that people with ‘learning weakness’ could learn if teachers were patient and used clear steps.
He also fought cruel jokes and locked care. His lines read like today’s call for dignity and least-restrictive settings.
How this fits with other research
Samadi et al. (2012) sum up 37 studies showing stigma still hurts both clients and families. Defoe’s early plea shows the fight is three centuries old.
Werner (2015) found adults give fewer rights to people with intellectual disability than to those with physical disability. This modern data pairs with Defoe’s warning that words shape life chances.
Friedman (2019) shows higher state prejudice predicts more institutional placement. Defoe’s 1700s essays and Carli’s 2019 numbers tell one story: stigma leads to segregation unless we push back.
Why it matters
You can use Defoe’s lines in staff training or family nights to show dignity is not new. When you teach stigma-blocking lessons, frame them as part of a 300-year thread. This gives your advocacy weight beyond today’s slide deck.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Although positive regard for the needs of people with disabilities was apparently uncommon by many accounts prior to the 20(th) century, this may be a misconception of history. There were likely many people who responded to the needs of their family members and others in need of assistance because of their disablities, and their physical and emotional proximity. This, however, if so, is not easily discernable in historical records. Few and rare voices raised that endeavored to inform and inspire others toward humane treatment and educational interventions for people with disabilities have been documented. This rarity was particulary true for those considered to have an intellectual disability. Evidence of advocacy in disbility history are difficult to find. When found they have been embraced as critical to understanding the development of the field of developmental disabilities. A famous example is the work of Jean Itard. The proposals of the well-known author, Daniel Defoe, however, are also notable for his forward-thinking writing as it related to how society should respond to the needs of people with disabilities. A review of his work provides important examples of a philosophy of advocacy and education that preceded the work of Itard by approximately 75 years but that has rarely been acknowledged. This manuscript highlights and discusses several of these important works and provides a context for Defoe's contributions.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2014 · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-52.6.470