IDEA IMPACTS 1

IDEA Impacts

Cassie Beckett

SPED 100

April 12, 2017

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Abstract

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was revised in 2004 including the

original six major principles put in place to protect the rights of students with disabilities. There

is a zero reject policy ensuring no student is ever denied an education because of a disability.

Nondiscriminatory evaluations take place to form a nonbiased evaluation of a child and the

disability. All students with disabilities are given the opportunity for free appropriate public

education in the least restrictive environment possible. There are procedural safeguards put in

place to ensure the student is protected, and the parents of the student are involved in the

decision-making processes. These six major principles of IDEA impact the American

educational system, the educators roles, and the individuals with disabilities. There are positive

and negative impacts, but because of the interest of the children.

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Idea Impacts

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has changed the way education

has been implemented in America. The most recent edition and changes to IDEA took place in

2004, where the main topics of the act involved zero reject, nondiscriminatory evaluation, free

appropriate public education, least restrictive environment, procedural safeguards, and the parent

participation and shaped decision making. With the principles in place our American education

system, educators roles, and the lives of individuals with disabilities have been impacted

immensely. The impacts from implementing IDEA are both positive and negative when viewing

the school system and those involved. One positive is that all children are educated.

The zero reject principle provides education to all children no matter their capabilities; all

schools must teach all children (Heward, 2013, p.16). All schools within the American

education system are responsible for providing educators necessary to work with children with

disabilities; along with the educators, the school must have the funds to pay for their services.

The educators that are hired must be instructed on how to handle the children within their school

system. All children with disabilities are different. There is no single definition given for the

term disability; however, IDEA defines a child with a disability as a child with mental

retardation, hearing impairments (including deafness), speech or language impairments, visual

impairments (including blindness), serious emotional disturbance . . . orthopedic impairments,

autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities; and

who by reason thereof, needs special education and related services, (Hill, 2009, p.8). Whether

a child is deaf, blind, mentally handicapped, or even becomes physically violent, teachers must

be prepared to handle the situations. A teacher working in a school system will encounter a child

with special education; along with the child certain training may be required. Within this act, all
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children are given a fair chance at education without the fear of being denied, or not given the

proper setting for their education.

Under IDEA, all children received free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE

requires the education system to cover the cost of education, as education is free to families. In

order for this to occur, and individualized education program (IEP) must be formed and used to

meet the childs unique needs (Heward, 2013, p.17). The IEP shows the childs current level of

capabilities, goals for the child, and details the education provided for the student (Heward,

2013, p.17). Having this document provides the child with a planned path for their education,

and also allows the educators to have a clear understanding of the needs and goals for the child.

As the child transitions to the next level, so does the IEP; it moves on with the child to the next

grade level and new teachers. The teachers of the students might be required to maintain

medication, physical needs of a child with disabilities, as well as any technology that is required.

The American education system is required to provide technology needed for a childs disability

(Heward, 2013, p.17). The technology could involve learning tools or simply tools to function

within the school on a day-to-day basis. All considerations are made according to the benefit of

the child, including where the child is educated.

All children with disabilities are different; the way a child thinks, communicates, and

operates is not the same as another child. IDEA provides children with disabilities the chance to

be placed in the most appropriate atmosphere. This is labeled the least restrictive environment

(LRE). Children with disabilities are only moved from the regular classroom if their disabilities

prove to be prohibiting their learning even with tools and interventions (Heward, 2013, p.19).

To ensure that the children removed from the classroom are given the appropriate education, the

IEP must state detailed notes explaining when the child will not participate in a regular
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classroom and describes where the child will be taken for the learning (Heward, 2013, p.17).

Education systems are impacted by this part in IDEA because the school is responsible for

providing the separate space for the child to be taken to along with providing educators for the

extra classrooms. The extra classrooms can be beneficial to the general classroom teachers to

help them be more attentive to their class instead of trying to give one on one attention to the

child with disabilities; a child that deserves the one-on-one. When a child is taken in and out of

the classroom, the general classroom teacher must become familiar with the childs IEP in order

to plan activities and coordinate the lesson plans with the childs time present in the classroom.

When that child is in the classroom, the teacher is responsible for handling the child and his/her

actions; the teacher will also get the joy of working with remarkable and talented children. The

individuals with disabilities are given the opportunity to learn with other students that are non-

disabled; they are given the chance to receive the education just as any other student would.

When a child is removed from a classroom, he/she benefits from one-on-one time with the

special education teacher that works with them. Whether it be beneficial to leave the child in

class, move them in and out, or completely remove the child entirely; what is most beneficial for

each individual student is considered. With the benefits of the child as the highest priority, IDEA

includes procedural safeguards.

The procedural safeguards within IDEA are made to ensure that all schools protect the

rights and interests of children with disabilities and their parents, (Heward, 2013, p.19). All

school systems must receive permission from parents for the start and continuing of all

evaluations done on their child; the records must remain confidential but open to the parents to

view at all times (Heward, 2013, p.19). The safeguards affect the American education system by

mandating the schools to discuss evaluations with parents. The school system is also responsible
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for providing an independent evaluation if a parent of a child does not agree with the results of

the previous evaluation; if a parent requests a due process hearing, attorneys must be provided

only if the parents and school cannot resolve the matter without a hearing (Heward, 2013, p.20).

The individuals with disabilities benefit from this provision in IDEA because their rights and

interests are protected. The parents can stand up for their child when necessary.

Parental participations and shared decision making is the final major principle of IDEA.

Schools and parents work together to plan and implement special education and services needed

for the child intended; when setting IEP goals, services, and placements, the parents along with a

child (when appropriate) will be involved in the decision making process (Heward, 2013, p.20).

Americans education system and educators are affected by requiring communication to occur.

Communication is beneficial for the childs education; studies have shown there are many

children in need of special education that are not receiving help because their needs have not

been noticed (Hill, 2009). By requiring the parent to be involved in making decisions, there is

another person pushing for the most beneficial education for each child.

The provisions made within Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, has

impacted the American education system, educators roles, and the individuals with disabilities.

The main principles of the act such as the zero reject, nondiscriminatory evaluation, free

appropriate public education, least restrictive environment, procedural safeguards, and the parent

participation and shaped decision making are set in place to help ensure that students with any

disability are treated properly. Whether the impact made is positive or negative for the education

system, educators, or individual, IDEA is set in place to help each childs needs based on his/her

strengths, preferences, and interests to ensure the proper and fair education (Hill, 2009, p.13).

IDEA has changed education is America.

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Works Cited:

Heward, W. L. (2013). Exceptional children: An introduction to special education. Boston, MA:

Pearson.

Hill, K. (2009). Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 and the John H. Chafee Foster Care

Independence Act of 1999: What are the policy implications for youth with disabilities

transitioning from foster care?. Child Welfare, 88(2), 5-23.