LESSON 1.

2 IDEA LAW AND

REGULATION

IDEA
THE INDIVIDUALS WITH
DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT
 THE LAW

• IDEA calls for a free and appropriate public education for every child with a
disability
• Education must be delivered in the least restrictive environment
• Promotes the concepts of inclusion
• Requires that the students with disabilities be educated in general education
settings alongside students without disabilities as long as this setting is proven
to be appropriate
 6 PRINCIPLES OF IDEA
• FREE APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION (FAPE)
• APPROPRIATE EVALUATIONS
• INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)
• LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT
• PARENT AND STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING
• PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS
 GOALS OF IDEA

• ENSURE ACCESS TO THE GENERAL CURRICULUM

• REDUCE PAPERWORK AND FOCUS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING
• ASSIST IN COSTS FOR IMPROVING SPECIAL EDUCATION & RELATED SERVICES
• PREVENT INAPPROPRIATE IDENTIFICATION AND MISLABELING OF CULTURALLY
DIVERSE STUDENTS
• ENSURE SCHOOLS ARE SAFE AND CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING
• ENCOURAGE PARENTS & EDUCATORS TO WORK OUT THEIR DIFFERENCES BY USING
NON-ADVERSARIAL MEANS
 WHO QUALIFIES UNDER IDEA

• COGNITIVE AND MENTAL DELAY IMPAIRMENTS

• HEARING IMPAIRMENTS- INCLUDING DEAFNESS
• SPEECH OR LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS
• VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS- INCLUDING BLINDNESS
• SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES
• ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENTS
• TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
• OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS- ADD/ ADHD
• SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES
 PARENTS RIGHTS

• ACCORDING TO IDEA, PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO…

• INSPECT AND REVIEW EDUCATIONAL RECORDS
• OBTAIN AN INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION
• REQUIRE WRITTEN NOTIFICATION PRIOR TO MATTERS REGARDING THEIRCHILD BE
DISCUSSED AND / OR FINALIZED
• REQUEST DUE PROCESS HEARING
• APPEAL INITIAL DECISIONS TO THE STATE EDUCATION AGENCY
• REQUEST REASONABLE ATTORNEYS FEES FROM COURT FOR ACTIONS OR
PROCEEDINGS BROUGHT UNDER IDEA
• GIVE OR REFUSE CONSENT BEFORE AN INITIAL EVALUATION IS CONDUCTED