Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Handbook for Special Education Teachers and Parents

Special education teachers and parents of children with special education needs are often unaware of the statutory rights under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”), and how to enforce them. On the flip side they sometimes do not realize how broad the law is, or how and what they must do to meet the laws requirements. The author starts with the premise that one of the hardest aspects of studying this law is find a friendly, easy way into the statutes. Further, heavily digested court cases offer examples of what can go wrong if the proper procedures are not followed. For example, the first case present in the book is one where the parents forced the school district to pay for their child to attend a fancy private school, as well as pay for meals and transportation to that school. Another case in this book discusses what happens when a parent refuses to agree to the recommended IEP placement. Then the next book chapter discusses when there is a change in circumstances that requires an IEP. The final court case reviews a situation when the child sought to qualify under IDEA even though the school did not diagnose a disability. It also briefly covers section 504 situations and how they tie into IDEA. Special education teachers need to know the law to protect themselves as well as meet their legal requirements; conversely, parents need to understand the law to know how broad and all encompassing the rights are for children meeting the requirements but not getting all the attention they need.