THE IMPACT OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT 1

The Impact of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act

Brittany J. Beeson

Dakota State University

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Abstract

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has had numerous positive effects involving

Americas education system. Based on its fundamental principles, it has affected how school

systems approach and handle the education of a student with disabilities. Schools are no longer

allowed to reject the enrollment of students with disabilities. School systems must execute

nondiscriminatory evaluations, and they must provide a free appropriate education. School

systems must implement a least restrictive environment, employ procedural safeguards, and

participate and share decision making with the parents of students with disabilities. The

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has changed the roles of educators to become more

actively involved, collaborative, and adaptive to the individual needs of students with

disabilities. Special education teachers help a student learn academic skills, but additionally

they may help students learn and master specific life skills. Most importantly, it has positively

affected the lives of individuals with disabilities by increasing graduation rates, postsecondary

enrollment, and employment.

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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has greatly impacted the area of

education in a number of ways. It has impacted the American education system itself, the

educators role within that system, and most importantly the lives of individuals with disabilities.

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed in 1975, which was later

amended and renamed in 1990 to what is now known as IDEA (Heward, 2013, p. 16). The

aftermath to follow IDEA being enacted has significantly influenced the American education

system and how it interacts with students with disabilities. Schools are now held accountable in

educating students with disabilities in several ways, which include: a zero rejection policy, the

application of nondiscriminatory evaluations, providing a free and appropriate public education,

applying a least restrictive environment for students with disabilities, employing procedural

safeguards, and requiring parent participation and shared decision making.

In the past, schools were permitted the refusal to enroll students based on the presence of

disabilities. Due to IDEA and its zero rejection policy, Schools must educate all children with

disabilities. No child with disabilities may be excluded from a free public education, regardless

of the nature or severity of the disability (Heward, 2013, p. 16). Essentially, this means school

systems no longer have the option of refusing to provide an education to students with

disabilities.

The application of nondiscriminatory evaluations to determine whether or not a student

may have a disability and require special education ensures that a student is being evaluated

fairly. Testing and evaluation procedures must not discriminate on the basis of race, culture, or

native language. All tests must be administered in the childs native language, and identification

and placement decisions cannot be made on the basis of a single test score (Heward, 2013, p.

17).

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IDEA has helped ensure that students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public

education (FAPE). It is important to note that This education must be provided at public

expense- that is, without cost to the childs parents, and IDEA requires that schools provide

any related services and assistive technology that a child with a disability may need to access and

benefit from special education (Heward, 2013, p. 17). This means that school systems, not the

parents, are financially responsible and are required by law to provide a student with disabilities

appropriate aids to assist them with receiving an education. Examples of this may include:

accessible entrances into school busses, a sign language interpreter, physical therapy, speech

therapy, along with a plethora of other services based on the educational needs of an individual.

Under FAPE the development of an individualized education program (IEP) is also required.

Essentially The IEP specifies the childs present levels of performance, identifies measurable

annual goals, and describes the specific special education and related services that will be

provided to help the child attain those goals and benefit from education (Heward, 2013, p. 17).

Including students with disabilities with students in the general education classroom is ideal.

However, the individual needs of the student may require education outside of the general

education classroom.

Ensuring that students are in an environment that is most beneficial to their education

also falls under IDEA as educating a student in the least restrictive environment (LRE). IDEA

requires schools to educate students with disabilities with children without disabilities to the

maximum extent appropriate and that students with disabilities be removed to separate classes or

schools only when the nature or severity of their disabilities is such that they cannot receive an

appropriate education in a general education classroom with supplementary aids and services

(Heward, 2013, p. 19). It is important to note that, IDEA creates a presumption in favor of

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inclusion in the general education classroom by requiring that a students IEP contain a

justification and explanation of the extent, if any, to which the student will not participate with

nondisabled peers in the general academic curriculum, extracurricular activities, and other

nonacademic activities (Heward, 2013, p. 19). This helps keep school systems accountable and

ensuring that students with disabilities are not being excluded for unwarranted reasons.

Providing an education that is in the best interest of the student with disabilities is at the

heart of IDEA. Procedural safeguards are employed to ensure that this is taking place. Schools

must follow an extensive set of procedures to safeguard and protect the rights and interests of

children with disabilities and their parents. Parental consent must be obtained for initial and all

subsequent evaluations and placement decisions regarding special education (Heward, 2013, p.

19).

Parent participation is also a part of IDEA. Schools must collaborate with parents and

students with disabilities in the planning and implementation of special education and related

services. The parents input and wishes must be considered in determining IEP goals, related

service needs, and placement decisions (Heward, 2013, p. 20). Parental consent is a major part

of employing procedural safeguards. Because of this and the fact that a students home life can

greatly affect his or her education, it is important that parents and educators collaborate and are

on the same page. Encouraging parents of students with disabilities to take an active roll in his

or her education is of vital importance. In most cases, no one knows a student quite as well as

his or her parents, considering the parents input on educational decisions could have a positive

influence in the education of the student.

Due to IDEAs great influence in the education system, it has, as a result, affected the

educators role within that system. Some disabilities are not present, identified, or known of

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until later in childhood. Educators in the general education classroom are a huge asset in

identifying students who are struggling and may be in need of special education services. They

aid in the prereferral process, the development of IEPs, and adapting lesson plans to

accommodate students with disabilities in the general education classroom. They collaborate

with special education teachers as well as parents to help give the student the most appropriate

education. Special education teachers have also integrated functional curriculums into IEPs for

students who may be in need of it. Functional curriculum describes the knowledge and skills

that some students with disabilities need in order to achieve as much success and independence

as they can in school, home, community, and work settings. Skills such as dressing, toileting,

making a purchase, preparing a snack are a critically important component of the special

education received by many students with severe disabilities (Heward, 2013, p. 31). IDEA has

not only affected what is taught to students with disabilities but also how it is taught. Educators

furthermore take on the responsibility of finding and applying evidence-based practices to better

educate students with disabilities.

Most importantly, IDEA has affected the lives of individuals with disabilities in an

incredibly positive way. As stated above, individuals with disabilities are no longer denied an

education and are guaranteed a free appropriate education. Individuals with disabilities are

placed in a learning environment that is least restrictive to most benefit their education based on

their individual needs. Due to IDEA, more students with disabilities receive a high school

diploma, and the drop out rate has drastically decreased. In the school year 2007-08, IDEA-

reported data indicated that 217,905 students with disabilities, ages 14-21, graduated high school

with a regular diploma. There has been a 16-point increase in the percentage of students with

disabilities graduating from high school since school year 1996-97 There has been a 21-point

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decrease in the percentage of students with disabilities dropping out since school year 1996-97

(U.S. Department of Education, 2010). There has also been a significant increase in students with

disabilities enrolling in post-secondary programs. The rate at which youths with disabilities

enrolled in postsecondary education rose from 14.6 percent in 1987 to 31.9 percent in 2005

(U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Additionally, there has been an increase in the amount of

young adults with disabilities who are employed. Trends in the postsecondary employment of

youths with disabilities are positive, with an increase of about 15 points in the percentage of out-

of-school youths with disabilities who have worked for pay since leaving high school (U.S.

Department of Education, 2010). It is safe to say that IDEA has helped improve the academic

and life skills that students with disabilities learn, which has consequently resulted in higher

graduation rates, postsecondary enrollment rates, and employment rates.

In conclusion, IDEA has had a huge impact since its initial beginning in 1975 and its

amendments thereafter. It has impacted how school systems provide education to students with

disabilities. It has changed the roles of educators by taking on a more active, collaborative,

attentive, and adaptive approach. Most importantly, it has considerably helped improve the

education and lives of individuals with disabilities in an abundance of ways.

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References

Heward, William L. (2013). Exceptional children: An introduction to special education. Upper

Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

U.S Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. Thirty-

five years of progress in educating children with disabilities through idea. Washington,

D.C.: 2010.