Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

IDEA is our nation's special education law.  IDEA stands for Individual with Disabilities Education Act.  The IDEA was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to make sure that children with disabilities had the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE), just like other children.  The law has been revised many times over the years.  The most recent amendments were passed by Congress in December 2004, with final regulations published in August 2006.

IDEA guides how states and school districts provide special education and related services to several million eligible children with disabilities. Click here to learn more about this federal law.