Maria Montessori was born in 1870 and was the first woman granted a medical degree by the Italian University. She was influenced by the work of Sequin and Itard of France when she engaged the medical profession to assess special needs children.

Montessori designed materials and techniques which allowed the children to work in areas previously considered beyond their capacity. Montessori's great triumph came when the children with these special needs passed the exams. She concluded that the children with greater needs and guidance could be brought to the same academic level as normalized children.

Montessori's life work began with a group of underprivileged children in 1907 when she opened her famous Casa Dei Bambini "House of Children". Dr. Montessori died in 1952. Today the Montessori method thrives internationally where Montessori schools are not only found in the private sector but are increasingly implemented within the public schools and Federal daycare programs. Montessori's focus on the individual child, the peaceful unfolding of self, the prepared classroom environment and offers opportunity for renewal in the appreciation of family life.