On November 29, 1975, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) was approved by congress and took effect in in November 1977. This became the foundation for services to children with disabilities and for federal funding for that education. In 1983, this included the addition of training and information centers for parents. In 1986, intervention for infants and educational programing for preschoolers was added. By 1990, the act was renamed the Individuals With Disabilities Act and was expanded to include additional services. In 2004, IDEA was re-authorized and expanded with Individualized Education Plan (IEP) standards.
Prior to the Individuals With Disabilities Act, many children were excluded from school due to their disabilities. IDEA provided access to educational services for all children, requiring schools to provide the necessary assistance for children to access the curriculum.
Many children who may have been excluded in the past are now able to attend school and excel academically. Access has been provided for all students regardless of financial status as the state is now required to foot the bill for services and cannot rely on parental contributions. Children with disabilities are educated with their peers and are able to participate in age appropriate activities and build strong relationships with their peers.
Children with disabilities who are educated with their peers are often able to meet success in the academic arena. Children who are educated with peers who have disabilities learn to accept differences and to respect others. Parents are able to pursue work outside the home or to participate in community activities without the need to be with their children 24 hours a day. Children with disabilities grow up to be productive citizens, who are able to work and contribute to society.
Many believe that special education services are only for children who suffer from mental retardation or are so severely impaired that they cannot learn in the traditional school. Many children with disabilities have IQs far above average and are talented and creative; they just require additional services to reach their potential. Others believe that special education services consist of either being educated in a separate room and completing entirely different tasks from the regular classroom, or by a one-on-one aid who helps the child do his work.
Special education services range from the provision of a communicative device for a child who cannot speak, auditory devices for the hearing impaired and a wheel chair or other suitable device for the child who is physically handicapped, to clarifying questions or allowing a child with a language processing disorder to take an oral test instead of a written one. Services depend on the severity of the disability and on the specific needs of the individual child and are outlined in the Individualized Education Plan.