The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (idea)

The education for all handicapped children act was first passed in 1975. In 1990, it was renamed the individuals with disabilities education act (IDEA). IDEA is for children with disabilities to have a free appropriate education to meet their unique needs for their future education, employment, and independent living, to ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and parents of and Federal agencies to provide for the education of all children with disabilities.

There are four parts of the IDEA. Part A is general provisions, Part B is assistance for education of all children with disabilities, Part C is infants and toddlers with disabilities, and Part D is national activities to improve education of children with disabilities.Students with disabilities, determined to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of the IDEA, are entitled to receive special education and related services; autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairments, other health impairment, emotional disturbance, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment including blindness.

Students have to be assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability. It can not be discriminatory and have to be given in the student’s first language or mode of communication. The school have to use a variety of assessment tools to know functional and developmental information that may assist in determining if student has disability or the educational needs of a student.

The IDEA provide free appropriate public education (FAPE). It requirement has procedural and substantive components. Any students with disabilities can get special education and related services which are physical therapy, audiology, transportation, speech and language, psychology, recreational therapy, orientation and mobility, interpreting services, occupational therapy, nutrition, medical, social work, vocational education, rehabilitation, counseling, parent counseling, and school nurse services at no cost. It provides in conformity with the Individualized Education Program (IEP). FAPE help children make progress in school. Individualized family service plan (IFSP) is for children ages birth to three years old. It shows children’s levels of functioning, needs, and goals for treatment. IDEA requires that public schools have IEP for all children receiving special education services for students between the ages of three and twenty one IEP is to assist teachers, parents, and local educational agencies in requirements of Part B. IEP address children learning issues and educational goals. The participants are parents, representative of agency, general education teacher, special education teacher, person knowledgeable about evaluation, and others at request of IEP participants.

Least restrictive environment (LRE) is to the maximum extent appropriate children with disabilities are to be educated with children who are not disabled. Removal can only occur when education in general classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.