The proposal of this program was born from an experience of the Center of Education and Human Sciences (CECH) of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), in offering a specialization course, in 1977, for special education teachers in the city of São Carlos and region. Upon completion of this course, there was an increase in demand, both in the sense of expanding opportunities for new teachers, and to continue with the training of those who took the first course.

At that time, the government of São Paulo institutionalized a system of Special Education in the state (Bueno, 1993) and included, among its goals, the training of large contingents of human resources. This state government initiative led to the almost explosive implementation of qualifications in Special Education in undergraduate courses in Pedagogy, without counting, for this, with qualified teaching staff.

In this way, the proposition of a graduate course was considered with a view to the possibility of preparing “multiplier agents” and, consequently, breaking the vicious circle of the absence of qualified teachers at all levels of education, since an analysis of the reality pointed to for the scarcity of centers for the systematic training of professionals in Special Education, and not only of teachers (Souza, Guidi, Ferraz and Ferraz Junior, 1981).