Special Education Law Overview
Structure, Funding, and Controversial Issues
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is both a grants statute and a civil rights statute. It provides Federal funding for the education of children with disabilities and requires, as a condition for the receipt of such funds, the provision of a free appropriate education (FAPE). The statute also contains detailed due process provisions to ensure the provision of FAPE. IDEA states, in part, that it has the following purposes: "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…
