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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act


(IDEA)
SPED100
11/17/15
Hannah Bauer

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Abstract
This paper explores the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It goes in depth
about the two major parts of the act, who uses/needs it, and professionals opinions about the act.
The paper will explore the different levels of the law and will provide resources and information
from other laws such as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Family Education Rights
and Privacy Act (FERPA).

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It can be extremely challenging for anyone to fully understand why children have
difficulty learning in the classroom and outside of the classroom. A child may have a learning
disability or school may be challenging for them. To understand more about the battles that are
being fought by these children, it is very important to understand the history associated with
special education and public schools. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) gives
students the right to special education services. It may be a long and confusing process, but it
will give the child the special attention that he/she may need to learn. Many acts and court cases
have come to be well-known referring to these types of children and there has been many
significant outcomes.
There is a long history of students not receiving the kind of education that students need
to fully succeed and not being treated fairly in schools. The most common court case involving
this type of situation is Brown v. Board of Education. In 1954, the Supreme Court of the United
States delivered a landmark civil rights decision regarding Brown v. Board of Education. In this
court case, students from four states claimed being in a segregated public school was
fundamentally unequal and underprivileged them of equal protection laws. The Supreme Court
ruled that the African-American children had the same rights as the white children in public
schools, including equal educational opportunities and fair learning. After the ruling of Brown,
parents of children with disabilities brought lawsuits to the courts against the school districts that
had excluded and segregated the many children with disabilities. The parents argued that these
schools were discriminating against the children because of the disability the child was born
with, which brings up the IDEA act (Wright).
IDEA was originally called Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) in 1975,
but has been changed multiple times since it was first passed. Before EHA was passed in 1975,

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public schools in the United States only provided accommodations for 1 out of 5 children with
some kind of learning disability (Lee). Up to that time, many states established laws that overtly
left out children with certain types of disabilities, including children who were deaf, blind, and
children labeled emotionally disturbed or mentally retarded, from attending public school.
At this time, there were over 1 million children, just in the United States, that had limited or no
access to the public school system. A large majority of these students subsisted at institutions ran
by the state where the students received very little educational or reintegration services
(Individuals). The exclusion of these students with a disability brought IDEA to the laws
attention; something needed to be done.
Finally, in the winter of 1975, action was taken. President Gerald Ford signed the
legislation of IDEA into law. The act focuses particularly on children with disabilities. It required
all schools and districts that received federal aid at the time to provide all students within the
school with a free and appropriate school education (FAPE). It provides children with disabilities
the educational right in the United States, regardless of the nature or severity of the persons
disability. Each child is allowed to receive services intended to meet the persons unique needs
and help prepare for further employment, education, and living independently (Boser).
In 1997, the biggest change to the act occurred during President Clintons term. On June
4, 1997, Clinton signed off to the most applicable changes to the law of which were amended and
reauthorized. Clinton modernized IDEA from 9 to 4 subchapters, there were also many
significant changes to many parts of the act that seemed to be invalid and outdated (The
Individuals). This act was to guarantee that public schools, public school districts, and other
public service agencies provide special education, intervention, and other related services and
identify children with special needs before entering schools. Clinton also reiterated FAPE and

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gave parents of children with disabilities new hope. Integrating parents into schools and
strengthening the role of parents and schools was also a big focus in the 1997 version of IDEA
because Individualized Education Plans (IEP) came into major focus. By developing IEPs
students, parents, and teachers received help to focus on improving instructive and educational
results through the general curriculum.
The 1997 version set higher education expectations for the students with disabilities
which ensured that schools are held accountable. Another major focus of this act was to ensure
that schools gave children with disabilities the opportunity to learn with nondisabled peers
(Special). Students had the right to the general education curriculum. Policy makers and
supporters believed that by putting students with disabilities in general education classrooms
would increase the expectations which would lead to strengthening outcomes for students with
disabilities (The Individuals). The Zero Reject principle requires that a school must
accommodate to every childs education to meet individual abilities and needs, regardless of the
childs disability (IDEA).
IDEA is made up of two major parts. Part B of IDEA lays out the educational guidelines
for school children ages three to twenty-one years of age. Legally, it is mandatory for states to
educate students with disabilities. IDEA provides financial support for local and state school
districts. However, to receive the financial support the school may need, the school district must
meet the terms with six main principles set out by IDEA. The first principle states that every
child is entitled to FAPE. Therefore, being able to receive the same education as a student
without a disability. If a professional within a school is certain that a student between the ages of
three and twenty-one may have a disability that can hinder the students learning or behavior,
then student is entitled to an evaluation in all areas that may be related to the suspected disability.

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An IEP is required to be created. IEPs lay out a series of very specific actions and steps in which
the student, parents, and educational providers may reach the childs stated goal. Next, if a parent
feels that an IEP is not fitting or is inappropriate for their child, or that their child is not receiving
the services that the child needs, the students parents have the right to challenge their childs
treatment by due process. Education and services for children with disabilities must be provided
in the least restrictive environment (LRE), and can be placed in a full inclusion classroom
involving students without disabilities. Lastly, the sixth principle states that the input of the child
and their parents is needed and must be taken into account during the childs education process.
Part C of IDEA familiarizes the need for reaching and identifying very young children
with disabilities, concerning children from birth to the age of two. Families of children with
disabilities are enabled to numerous services through this part C of IDEA. It is recognized that
every family with infants and toddlers is entitled to appropriate, suitable, and multidisciplinary
identification and intervention services for children with disabilities. Every family is required to
receive an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), which documents and guides the early
intervention process for families with children with disabilities. IFSP contains important
information about the services necessary to assist a childs development and improve the
familys capacity to facilitate the childs development, in which families have the right to
participate in the creation of and give consent prior to the initiation of these intervention services.
Last of all, parents have the right to timely resolution of any conflicts or complaints which regard
the evaluation or services that are provided to the child (Advocacy).
In 2004, the original IDEA principle was rewritten once again to change the name of the
law. The government amended IDEA and changed the name to Individuals with Disabilities
Education Improvement Act. It included significant changes to IEPs, in terms of who should

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participate and what should be included in the process. This change was meant to help children
learn by promoting better results for the child, enhancing involvement of parents, using proven
practices and materials, and reducing the amount of paperwork for teachers and school
administrators. The reauthorization also emphasized the need to include the purpose of the No
Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. The purpose of this act ensured that all children have an
equal, fair, and significant opportunity to learn and be educated in a safe, high-quality academic
environment (Wright).
Finally, as a result of IDEA, about 5.8 million school-age children as of 2012, have
received special education services in the United States. Over 40 percent of these students are
identified with a specific learning disability. IDEA has significantly helped children with special
needs overcome segregation and being treated differently in schools, than children without
special needs. The law has given hope to many families with children with special needs and will
give hope for many more to come in the future. IDEA has made this possible for every student
born with a disability and has given these children hope for a brighter future so it is possible to
achieve substantial goals in life.

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Works Cited
"Advocacy Issues - IDEA." American Psychological Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
Boser, Ulrich. "Special Education: History of IDEA." Special Education: History of IDEA. N.p.,
15 Oct. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
"IDEA. Individuals with Disabilites Education Act (IDEA). Philidelphia Mental Retardation
Services, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
"Individuals with Disabilities Education Act." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 17
Nov. 2015.
Lee, Andrew M.I. "How IDEA Protects You and Your Child." Understood.org. N.p., 11 Apr.
2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
"Special Education Services." Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Illinois State Board of
Education, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997." Professional Resources.
Cengage Learning, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
Wright, Pete. "The History of Special Education Law." The History of Special Education Law Wrightslaw. N.p., 29 Nov. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

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