Abstract The effects of the Individuals with Disabilities Act were examined. The six main components of the act were also used in comparison. Zero reject, nondiscriminatory evaluation, free appropriate public education, least restrictive environment, procedural safeguards, and parent participation and shared decision making are discussed frequently. These topics are used to convey the effect IDEA has had on the American education system, the teachers roles, and individuals with disabilities. Keywords: IDEA, zero reject, nondisdrinatory, FAPE, LRE, procedural Impacts of IDEA 3
Impacts of IDEA on American Education System And its Teachers and Students The year of 1975 provided the American education system with a piece of legislation with a magnitude comparable to Brown vs Board of Education. At the time it was known as Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children. Later, in 1990 PL 94-142 had its name changed to Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Ed.gov states that before this ground breaking law, children with disabilities were excluded from the public school system (2007). They continue saying schools educated only one in five children with disabilities. IDEA has stood the test of time as well. For the most part, the law has remained largely unchanged expect for a few amendments for clarity on the original submitted (Heward 2012). For a law to provide education to 80% more of a certain group there must be substantial changes to the current model. IDEA can be broken down into 6 main concepts of zero reject, nondiscriminatory evaluation, free appropriate public education, least restrictive environment, procedural safeguards, and parent participation and shared decision making, that remain true to this day (Heward 2012). These principles presented in IDEA have had major impacts on the American education system, educators roles within that system, and the lives of individuals with disabilities. By opening up public schooling to all students regardless of disabilities, IDEA required major changes all school districts. Zero Reject is principle that best describes this huge change within schools. On page 16, Heward says, Each states education agency is responsible for locating, identifying, and evaluation all children, from birth to age 21, residing in the state with disabilities or who are suspected of having disabilities (2012). Up until 1975 there were no regulations forcing schools to accept these children so much had to be done to accommodate the Impacts of IDEA 4
changes of PL 94-142. In turn, it forced schools to find teachers qualified for teaching and assisting these children. In addition to new teachers and classrooms, the schools are also required by the Free Appropriate Public Education, component of IDEA to provide services any student may need at no cost to the parents of the individual. Such accommodations can include interpreting services, medical, psychological, speech-language, and many others (Heward 2012). Hence, this created the need for schools to have, for example, handicapped accessible school busses, or physical therapy type equipment in a classroom. As much as IDEA created change within the old school system, it forced just as much change for the everyday teacher and her role in the classroom as well. IDEA requires a great deal out of all teachers, especially in the grade school system. Within the components of free and appropriate public education, and the idea of least restrictive environment, both share that an IEP must be developed by a team of teachers. IEP is an acronym for individualized education program, and is the single most impact IDEA has on the regular classroom teacher. Before an IEP team of teachers is organized, most schools go through a pre- referral process to determine the severity of the issue. Heward describes this process on page 45 by stating how a concerned parent suggests something to the teacher about possible learning deficiencies, or as a result of a screening test, the child might enter the process (2012). Hence, IDEA places a large amount of pressure on the teachers of the schools to help in identifying these possible disabilities students may have. But it does not rely on one singular teacher as collaboration between teachers is extremely helpful in assessing students for disabilities. As previously stated, IDEA opened up a whole new part of education. Now, teachers can specialize in teaching students with disabilities. If a student has gone through the extensive IEP process, and the best place chosen for the individual is outside the general classroom, this is where a Impacts of IDEA 5
special education teacher comes in full force. If for example, there no chance of the student returning to the regular classroom, a special education teacher job becomes more to mold them for everyday life. Alyssa Block speaks about this topic in video for Autism Speaks. In the video, she describes how parents ask her to work with the children to get them to be able to go to the grocery store. Block helps these parents out by taking a trip to the super market once a week with her class (2008). Blocks teaching is a great example of the different focuses of a general and special education teacher. The goal is more to get students with disabilities as close to long term independence as possible. Last and most import, the changes made within schools have had an extremely positive affect on the students in the system. Clearly, the whole thought process behind IDEA was to offer the same education to every student regardless of disability. Heward goes on to describe procedural safeguards put into place as, an extensive set of procedures to safe guard and protect the rights and interest of children with disabilities and their parents (Pg. 19 2012). Nondiscriminatory evaluations are another type of safe guard to ensure a students evaluation for special education is not hindered by, race, culture, or native language (Pg. 17 2012). The least restrictive environment is another aspect of IDEA centered on including the student into as much as the regular classroom as possible. Tanya Kosinski of ED.gov stated, Today, nearly 60 percent of students with disabilities are in general education classrooms 80 percent or more of their school day (2012). This statistic shows the effort made by schools to include these students into the regular classroom, and give them as close to the same experience as every other child. As previously stated in the last paragraph, if a student is in a separate classroom, they will be taught not just the basics of elementary education, but how to function in society as well. Looking back, being disabled in 1970 meant a life without a fair free education, or any Impacts of IDEA 6
opportunity to be independent. It is amazing how much IDEA has changed the lives of these individuals. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act shook the very foundation of the American education system, placed added responsibilities on the teachers of schools, and drastically changed the lives of those students with disabilities. Progress is being made daily to continue to improve upon IDEA, and all of its components. 1975 was a much different time, and the progress that has been made in that amount of time in unbelievable and only shows hope for the future.
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References Archived: 25 Year History of the IDEA. (2007, June 19). Archived: 25 Year History of the IDEA. Retrieved June 6, 2014 Block, Alyssa. (2008, September 08). "Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)." YouTube. Autism Speaks. Web. Retrieved 07 June 2014 Cortiella, C. (2013, February 13). IDEA 2004 Close Up: Highly Qualified Teachers.GreatSchools. Retrieved June 6, 2014. Heward, W. L. (2012). Exceptional children: an introduction to special education (Tenth ed.). : Pearson.