What is IDEA?
"The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that supports special education and related service programming for children and youth with disabilities," says University of Washington's STEM program. The purpose of this federal legislation act is to "ensure that all children receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE); to ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected; to assist states, localities, educational service agencies and federal agencies in providing an education for all children with disabilities; to assist states in the implementation of an interagency system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families; to ensure that educators and parents have the necessary tools to improve educational results for children with disabilities and, lastly, to assess, and ensure the effectiveness of, efforts to educate children with disabilities." - U.S. Department of Education. However, these goals cannot be reached without certain actions. In order to make public schools accessible to all children, IDEA requires the school district to perform a free evaluation for any child suspected to have a disability, along with developing an IEP (Individualized Education Program) for each child diagnosed with a disability.
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Spokeswoman from Arc of Westchester
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