Psychoeducation has a long, complex and interesting history. It finds its roots in the work of humanists as Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827), Itard (1775-1838), Dr. Samual Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and others. Respect for the worth of the individual unites these psychoeducators, and those who have followed.
Pestalozzi, a Swiss educator, founded a school in the early 1800's which emphasized not just the child's intellectual development, but affective and social awareness. Learning through doing, self-discovery and the dignity of each individual were ideas he championed.
Itard, of course, is the celebrated physician who undertook the education of a feral child over a five year period. Through games and other devices, Itard was able to help the "wild boy of Aveyron" -- who he named Victor -- attain a degree of behavioral and social control. Itard is also known for his innovative approaches to education of deaf children.
Howe, best known for his work with the blind and deaf, designed a number of strategies for special education, and fought for the rights of the mentally ill. He was also a philanthropist and abolitionist who devoted himself to human rights and social justice.
It was not until the so-called "mental hygiene" movement attained prominence in the first part of the 20th century that psychoeducation truly came into its own, however. The mental hygiene movement began as social reform, and in response to community mental health problems.
Education consists of example and love --
nothing else.
--Pestalozzi
