Special Education- is governed by federal law in most jurisdictions.

Under Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act(IDEA).
-defined as “Specially designed instruction, provide at no cost to the parents, to meet the
unique needs of a child with a disability, including adapting content, teaching methodology and delivery
instruction to meet the appropriate needs of each child.
-it broadly identifies the academic, physical, cognitive and social- emotional instruction offered
to children who are faced with one or more disabilities.
Inclusion- a term which expresses commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent
appropriate in the school and classroom he/she would otherwise attend.
Special Education Inclusion
Inclusive Education- happens when children with and without disabilities participate and learn
together in the same classes.
Principles that guide quality inclusive education:
All children belong- inclusion education is based on the simple idea that every child and family is valued
equally and deserves opportunities and experiences.
All children learn in different ways- inclusion is about providing the help children need to learn and
participate in meaningful ways.
It is every child’s right to be included- inclusive education is a child’s right, not a privilege.
Mainstreaming Special Education
-every child has the ability to learn, but the way children learn and how much knowledge they
can absorb can vary considerably- especially for a child with special needs.
Mainstreaming vs. Inclusion
-with mainstreaming, special education students “earn” the right to be in a regular classroom for
at least one class to see if they are ready for the challenge.
-inclusion involves bringing special education services to a child who is in regular classes, rather
than bringing the child to the services (in a special education classroom).
Benefits of mainstreaming or inclusion for special education
-several studies have suggested that overall, including disabled children in mainstream
classrooms improves academic achievement, self-esteem and social skills.
Handicap
-according to the World Health Organization, a disadvantage that interferes with performance
of life roles and is social, cultural, economic, or environmental in nature.
Disability
-the term disability reflects the consequences of impairment in terms of functional performance
and activity by the person; disabilities thus represent disturbances at the individual level.
Impairment
-any abnormality of, partial or complete loss of, or loss of the function of, a body part, organ, or
system; this may be due directly or secondarily to pathology or injury and may be either temporary or
permanent; a physical or mental defect at the level of a body system or organ.
At risk
-the state of an individual or population being vulnerable to a particular disease or event. The
factors determining risk maybe environmental, psychosocial, psychological, or physiological.
Individuals with Disabilities (IDEA) –requires schools to provide special education and related services to
eligible students.
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
1. Federal law that requires schools to serve the educational needs of eligible students with
disabilities.
2. Access to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE), just like other children.
3. Required to provide special education in the least restrictive environment- in general education
whenever possible.

FAPE- Free Appropriate Public Education

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects the rights of individuals with disabilities in
programs and activities that receive financial assistance, including federal funds.
- It requires a school district to provide a “free appropriate public education” (FAPE) to each
qualified person with disability who is in the school district’s jurisdiction, regardless of the
nature or severity of the person’s disability.
How is an Appropriate Education Defined?
- an appropriate education may compromise education in regular classes, education in regular
classes with the use of related aids and services, or special education and related services in separate
classrooms for all or portions of the school day.

An appropriate education will include:

Education services designed to meet the individual education needs of students with disabilities as
adequately as the needs of no disabled students are met;
The education of each student with a disability with nondisabled students, to the maximum extent
appreciate to the needs of the student with disability;
Evaluation and placement procedures established to guard against misclassification or inaproppriate
placements of students, and a periodic reevaluation students who have been provided special
education or related services; and
Establishment of due process procedures that enable parents and guardians to:
Receive required notices;
Review their child's records; and
Challenge identification, evaluation and placement decisions.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) was a U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorize the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act; it included Title 1 provisions applying to disadvantage d students. It
supported standards-based education reform based on the premise that setting high standards and
establishing measurable goals could improve individual outcomes in education. The Act required states
to develop assessments in basic skills, to receive federal school funding, states had to give these
assessments to all students at select grade levels.

The Americans with Disability Act of 1990(ADA) is one of several disability-relatef laws and probably the
one with which many Americans are most familiar. The purpose of the law is to ensure that people with
disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
Magna Carta
Republic Act No. 7277
An act providing for the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled person and their
integration.
Section 1. This act shall be known and cited as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.
Section 3. This Act shall covers all disabled persons and, to the extend here in provided, departments,
offices and agencies of the National Government or non-government organization involved in the
attainment of the objectives of this Act.