Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Analysis

1. Names and Definitions-
-IDEA or Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a four-part legislation that ensures students with a disability are provided with Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that is tailored to their individual needs.
-An IEP or Individualized Educational Plan/Program is a document that is developed for each school-aged child who is eligible for special education and related services, and describes the educational; program that has been designed to fit an individual child’s unique needs.
-IFSP or Individualized Family Service Plan is a plan developed for children with disabilities ages birth through three, and is used to document the early-intervention services required by the children and their families.
-FAPE
2. According to IDEA, the primary purpose of an IEP is, “to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living”. The IEP is meant for to communicate the school and school district’s commitment to addressing the individual needs of students with disabilities. The IEP is the plan that ensures and facilitates individualized instruction.
3. The parent plays an important role in determining whether their child is a child with a disability in need of special education and related services. The parent advocates for their child’s needs, and has to give consent for many of the important changes and alterations made to their child’s IEP. The most important role of the parent is their ability to bring firsthand knowledge about their child’s strengths and their opinions and concerns for their child’s