Children With Disabilities Education Act Essay

Society has a responsibility to provide treatment and education to the children themselves, so that they are able to grow and develop as optimally as possible. The treatment now is different from how it was in the past for these children. In the past, these children were considered mentally retarded, “…were often denied a public education and were likely to reside in a state-operated institutions” (Heward,126). These children also did not receive funding for health care. Today, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) enables not just students with disabilities to have related services, but also provides parents counseling and training where they learn to understand the needs and information about their child and their development.

It is the responsibility of society to allow children with this condition to have the support they need to improve performance at school, home and community environments. Additionally, treatment should be provided because it was not the child’s fault that they were born to parents who abuse alcohol and drugs. IDEA also, “requires that schools provide any related services… that a child with a disability may need to access and benefit from special education” (Heward, 17). These services include providing children free appropriate public education with the help of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and rehabilitation treatments, such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech. It is important to have drug education for these children so that they do not repeat the actions of their parents by abusing drugs and alcohol. Society can provide drug education through health classes in schools to discuss the different drugs and their effects. This will allow the children to have the knowledge about the dangers of using and will hopefully deter them from underage drinking or drug