The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, is a law passed in 1975, which ensures that children with disabilities receive the same treatment and are given the same opportunities as children without disabilities. The many rules and regulations involved in IDEA can be condensed into six major principles. These principles include: zero reject, nondiscriminatory evaluation, free appropriate public education, least restrictive environment, procedural safeguards, and parent participation and shared decision making (Heward, 2013). IDEA has reformed the education system in the United States giving educators, parents, and students with disabilities new roles and responsibilities. This all-encompassing system provides children with disabilities a strong support system and a chance to better enhance themselves. As part of the zero reject principle, schools must educate all children with disabilities regardless …show more content…
Therefore, without any charge to the parents, an individualized education plan must be constructed and given to each child to fit the specific needs caused by his or her disability. In addition, “schools must provide any related services and assistive technology that a child with a disability may need to access and benefit from special education” (Heward, 2013). IDEA also requires schools to place students with disabilities in the same classroom as students that don’t have disabilities through the least restrictive environment principle. For the most part, children with disabilities are placed with nondisabled children and given an IEP to explain why and if they cannot participate in a certain activity. This is the case unless their disability is so severe that even with an aid and special services, they will not be able to receive an appropriate education in a general education