Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): A revision of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the IDEA is a federal law passed in 1991 and amended in 1997 that guarantees a free appropriate public education for eligible children and youth with disabilities. According to the law, a child with a disability means 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.

I.E.P.s & 504 Plans are terms used in Special Education.

• An I.E.P. (Individualized Educational Plan) identifies a student as having a disability that requires specialized instruction. IEPs are created by a team that includes the classroom teacher, a special education specialists, an administrator, and the parents (students are often included in the upper grades).
• Section 504 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. It mandates that the child with a disability has equal access to an education. It outlines accommodations and modifications for an individual student.

The difference between an IEP and a 504 is that an IEP is a legally binding document that spells out exactly what special education services a student requires and why. It includes services such as a one-on-one aide and therapies, academic and behavioral goals, a behavior plan, plus time in regular education, and progress reports from teachers and therapists. 504s are plans for students with generally less severe learning disability who require the accommodation of lessons and procedures to allow them opportunities for success.