Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) | Understood

IDEA is the nation's special education law. It gives rights and protections to kids with disabilities. It covers them from birth through high school graduation ... SkiptocontentThispageisinEnglishEN|ESExploreourresourcesContentlibraryHowtospotsignsinkidsPodcastsWorkplaceresourcesWunderappforparentsAboutusOurmissionOurleadershipHowwestartedRedefiningaccessibilityEditorialstandardsMediacenterBlogPartnershipsDonateJoinourteamPrivacypolicyTermsofuseFundraisingdisclosureSitemapBecausedifferencesareourgreateststrengthDonateOpensnewwindowWhysupportUnderstood?AtaglanceIDEAisthenation’sspecialeducationlaw.Schoolsmustfindandevaluatestudentsthoughttohavedisabilities —atnocosttofamilies.ToqualifyforIDEAservices,achildmusthaveadisability and needspecialeducationtomakeprogressinschool.Togetspecialeducationservicesforachild,youhavetofollowalegalprocess.ThemostimportantlawforthisprocessistheIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA). IDEAisthenation’sspecialeducationlaw.Itgivesrightsandprotectionstokidswithdisabilities.Itcoversthemfrombirththroughhighschoolgraduationorage21(whichevercomesfirst).Parentsandlegalguardiansalsohaverightsunderthelaw. IDEAplacestwobigresponsibilitiesonstatesandtheirpublicschools.First,schooldistrictsmustprovideafreeappropriatepubliceducation(FAPE)tokidswithdisabilities. Andthesekidsmustlearnsidebysidewithpeersasmuchaspossible —somethingcalledtheleastrestrictiveenvironment,orLRE.Schoolsmustfindandevaluatestudentswhomayhavedisabilities,atnocosttofamilies.ThisisknownasChildFind.Ifachildhasaqualifyingdisability,schoolsmustofferspecialeducationandrelatedservices(likespeechtherapyandcounseling)tomeetthechild’suniqueneeds.TheseareprovidedthroughanIndividualizedEducationProgram(IEP). Thegoalistohelpstudentsmakeprogressinschool.Second,schoolshavetogiveparentsavoiceintheirchild’seducation.Ateverypointintheprocess,IDEAgivesparentsspecificrightsandprotections.Thesearecalledproceduralsafeguards.Forexample,onesafeguardisthataschool mustgetconsentfromparents beforeprovidingservicestokids.ThereachofIDEAgoesbeyondtraditionalpublicschools.Itincludespublicmagnetandcharterschools.Thelawalsoprovidesearlyinterventionservicestoinfantsandtoddlersuptoage 3.Finally,IDEAmayimpactsomestudentsinprivateschools.DivedeeperThehistoryandpurposeofIDEAIDEAwasfirstpassedin1975.Atthattime,itwascalledtheEducationforAllHandicappedChildrenAct.BeforeIDEA,itwascommonforstatestoplacekidswithdisabilitiesinseparateschools.Orinseparateclassroomsawayfromtheirpeers.Theireducationwasoftenpoorandunderfunded.Academicexpectationswerelow.Kidswithlearningandthinkingdifferencestypicallydidn’tgetthehelptheyneededtothriveinschool.CongresspassedIDEAtochangethis.Aroundthesametime,otherlawsalsopassedtoimprovelivesofpeoplewithdisabilities.In1973,CongresspassedSection504oftheRehabilitationAct,whichbarreddisabilitydiscriminationinprogramsthatgetfederalfunding.Thenin1990,CongresspassedtheAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct,ortheADA,tobardiscriminationinotherareasofsociety.Overtheyears,Congresshasupdatedtheselawsseveraltimes.IDEA’slastupdatewasin2004.SeeachartthatcomparesIDEA,Section504,andtheADA.WhoiseligibleforservicesunderIDEANoteverychildiseligibleforspecialeducationunderIDEA,andhavingadiagnosisdoesn’tguaranteeeligibility.Toqualify,kidsmusthaveadisabilitythatfallsunderoneofthe13categoriesIDEAcovers.Theyare:AutismDeaf-blindnessDeafnessEmotionaldisturbanceHearingimpairmentIntellectualdisabilityMultipledisabilitiesOrthopedicimpairmentOtherhealthimpairment(includesADHD)Specificlearningdisability (includesdyslexia,dyscalculia,dysgraphia,andotherlearningdifferences)SpeechorlanguageimpairmentTraumaticbraininjuryVisualimpairment,includingblindnessHowever,havingoneofthesedisabilitiesdoesn’tautomaticallyqualifyachildunderIDEA.Tobeeligible,astudentmust:Haveadisability and,asaresultofthatdisability…NeedspecialeducationtomakeprogressinschoolForexample,ifastudenthasADHDandisdoingwellinschool,thestudentmightnotbecoveredbyIDEA.Sometimesschoolsandparentsdisagreeoverwhetherachildiscovered.Whenthathappens,IDEAprovidesoptionsforresolvingthedispute.In2018–2019,around7.1millionstudentsages3to21receivedspecialeducationservicesunderIDEA.That’s14percentofallpublicschoolstudents.Themostcommonwaystudentsqualifyiswithaspecificlearningdisability.(Source: NationalCenterforEducationStatistics)Learnmoreaboutthe13categoriesIDEAcovers. HowtogetservicesunderIDEAAnevaluationgetstheballrollingunderIDEA.Parentscanrequestanevaluationatanytime.Andiftheschoolthinksachildmighthaveadisability,itmustconductanevaluation.Theevaluationnotonlydeterminesifastudenthasadisability.Italsoshedslightonwhat servicesandsupportthatstudentmightneed.Findouthowtorequestanevaluation.Readaboutevaluationrights.Aftertheevaluation,theschoolwillholdaneligibilitymeetingtodecideifthechildqualifiesforspecialeducation.Iftheanswerisyes,aschoolteamwillworkwithparentstodevelopanIEP.Thislegaldocumentspellsoutthechild’seducationgoals,aswellastheservicesandsupporttheschoolwillprovide.Ifachildisdeniedservices,therearestepsparentscantake.LearnaboutmythssurroundingIDEAandspecialeducation.RelatedtopicsSchoolsupportsTelluswhatinterestsyouSeeyourrecommendationsShareEmailAbouttheauthorAbouttheauthorAndrewM.I.Lee,JDisaneditorandattorneywhostrivestohelppeopleunderstandcomplexlegal,education,andparentingissues.ReviewedbyReviewedbyMyrnaMandlawitz,MEd,JDhasworkedforover20yearsasaconsultant/lobbyistonspecialandgeneraleducation.Discoverwhat’spossiblewhenyou’reunderstood.We’llemailyouourmosthelpfulstoriesandresources.EmailSignupWunderThefirstcommunityappforparentsandcaregiversofchildrenwholearnandthinkdifferently.LearnmoreCopyright©2014-2022UnderstoodForAllInc.