- The IDEA was created to govern how states and agencies provide early intervention to children from birth to 5, special education to students in kindergarten through high school graduation and related services to every special-needs child. This law helps to serve approximately 6.5 million people in the United States.
- Congress passed Public Law 94-142, Education of All Handicapped Children Act, in 1975 to assure a "free, appropriate public education to each child with disabilities" and help the states and localities with their means of delivering these services. In 1990, this law was amended to become IDEA, providing students with the opportunity to be educated in the "Least Restrictive Environment." The IDEA Amendments came in 1997 with the provisions to create services to help young adults make the transition to adult living beginning at the age of 14. IDEA was again amended in 2004 to provide more detailed specifics in the planning and administration of each child's individualized educational plan (IEP).
- Before this law was passed, approximately four of five children with disabilities were not educated in any public-school system. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, enacted in 1973, mandated that public schools not deny services to students with disabilities. Until PL 94-142 was enacted, schools typically only applied the Rehabilitation Act in physical terms such as handicapped access. IDEA provides families of disabled children with legal rights to educational services.
- With IDEA, teachers, parents and support providers now meet to create a student's IEP. This plan describes a student's long-term goals, methods of delivery, dates for completion, individuals responsible and modifications to the regular class curriculum. These plans are reviewed each year and updated to best meet the needs of the child. All services are to be delivered in the available environment that most closely matches that of regular students.
- IDEA initiated an opportunity for each child not only to participate in regular education classes and activities but also provided a means for these students to get the extra support and resources necessary to help them become as well-educated as their non-disabled peers. Because of IDEA, school districts throughout the country are staffed with professionals such as special-education teachers, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, staffing specialists, early learning coordinators, vocational specialists and behavior analysts. Along with parents, each of these individuals play a part in creating functional learning environments for all children.
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