The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the main federal program authorizing state and local aid for special education and related services for children with disabilities, including students with learning disabilities.

You'll find all the answers you need on IDEA below, including detailed background information, useful guides for parents and educators, policy reports, and a wealth of additional resources from NCLD and other leading organizations. Click here to learn more about how IDEA interacts with No Child Left Behind.

On December 3, 2004, President Bush signed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (P.L. 108-446), a major reauthorization and revision of IDEA. The new law preserves the basic structure and civil rights guarantees of IDEA but also makes significant changes in the law, including new provisions regarding how schools can determine whether a child has a specific learning disability and may receive special education services. Most provisions of P.L. 108-446 became effective on July 1, 2005.

The Latest IDEA 2004 News:

The U.S. Department of Education has released the final regulations concerning how states and local school districts are to identify and serve students suspected of having a learning disability under the federal special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Click here for more information. NCLD submitted comments on the Multi-Year IEP Pilot and the Paperwork Reduction Pilot draft regulations that were issued by the U.S. Department of Education part of IDEA 2004. For a full timeline of recommendations and comments regarding IDEA, click here.

Introduction and Background Information
Research
Policy and Advocacy
Additional Resources on the Web 

Introduction and Background Information:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Parent Guide This comprehensive guide explains how the federal law generally works in most states, the legal requirements to determine whether your child has a learning disability, updates made to the law in 2004, what resources are available for support, and how to be a strong advocate for your child. Also helpful is the IDEA Terms to Know, a glossary of terms that will help you understand the phrases and concepts of the IDEA Guide, and the IDEA Guide Toolkit, which offers checklists, sample letters and other materials.

Preschool Services Under IDEA
While the preschool years are a time of triumphs for most children and families, approximately 8% of all young children are identified as having disabilities that may prevent their reaching important milestones as expected. It was with these children and their families in mind that Congress created the Part C Infant/Toddler Program and the Preschool Special Education Program in 1986 when it reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This brief explains the services preschoolers may be entitled to under the Section 619 Preschool Program.

IDEA 2004 Close-up: The Individualized Education Program (IEP) Learn about critical changes to IDEA 2004 & IEPs from NCLD Professional Advisory Board member Candace Cortiella.

IDEA 2004: Improving Transition Planning & Results Take a look at recent amendments to IDEA 2004, which includes several revisions to the requirements for transition planning designed to improve postsecondary results for students with disabilities. 

LD Talk: IDEA 2004 (January 12, 2005) Featured expert Dr. Stevan Kukic discusses the new provisions in IDEA 2004 regarding the determination of eligibility for students as having a specific learning disability (LD) and its implications at the state and local school district levels. In addition, you can read detailed information regarding IEPs and IDEA in the April 27, 2005 LD Talk with featured experts: Kathleen Boundy and Candace Cortiella.

IDEA 2004 Brief Summary of Changes and New Provisions

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Research:

The reauthorization of IDEA in 2004 included specific requirements for schools to provide scientifically-based interventions and instruction. Learn more about recent findings, including Frank Porter Graham Institute's Recognition and  Response Research and read up-to-date information on Response to Intervention (RTI), the highly-effective method for identifying students at risk for learning disabilities.

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Policy & Advocacy:

The Learning Disabilities Roundtable 
The 2004 Learning Disabilities Roundtable released comments and recommendations for the development of federal regulations governing the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). These recommendations, submitted in February 2005 to the U.S. Department of Education, represent the coordinated work of 14 organizations concerned with the identification and eligibility of students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) and the effective delivery of special education and related services to those students. The recommendations developed by the group sought to build on the work of an earlier Learning Disabilities Roundtable and the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD).

IDEA 2004 Policy Update from LDNews
Find out about proposed changes to the assessment of IDEA-eligible students under NCLB, learn about the latest Supreme Court IDEA case, and read the National Disability progress report in the January 2006 issue of LDNews. Click here for the full list of past issues.

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Additional Resources on the Web:

An Overview of ADA, IDEA, & Section 504
(ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities & Gifted Education)

IDEA 2004 Legal Research and Guide
(The Special Education Law Library at Wrightslaw)

IDEA - Building the Legacy of IDEA 2004
(Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education) -- OSERS created this site to provide a "one-stop shop" for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations. The site provides searchable versions of the statute and regulations, as well as access to cross-referenced content from other laws such as the No Child Left Behind Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

Read an excerpt from A Parent's Guide to Special Education: Insider Advice on How to Navigate the System and Help Your Child Succeed
Written by Linda Wilmshurst and Alan Brue, this book addresses how recent changes in the federal special education law (IDEA 2004) and other federal laws can impact special education services for children today.

IDEA Data Web site
This site provides public access to the most recent data about children with disabilities served under IDEA. 

Advocacy Toolkit: Ensuring Adequate Funding for IDEA
(The Council for Exceptional Children)

IDEA 2004 News: Reauthorization, The New Statute, and Regulations
(National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities)

A User's Guide to the 2004 IDEA Reauthorization
(Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities)

Below are links to the IDEA Bill passed by Congress: 
Title I: 
Part A - General Provisions
Part B (Section 611-614) - Assistance for Education of All Children With Disabilities
Part B (Section 615-619) - Procedural safeguards, monitoring and enforcement
Part C - Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities
Part D - National Activities to Improve Education of Children with Disabilities 
Title II and III

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