Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - IDEA

Definition of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, with links to more information.

Learn more about your child's right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education.

Learn more about your child's right to education in the Least Restrictive Environment.

Learn more about the Present Level of Performance section of your child's Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).

Learn more about your child's right to an Extended School Year.

When asking for an accommodation, modification, or placement for your special-education student, remember to describe it as "appropriate," not "best" or "perfect." That's what the law allows.

Learn more about Prior Written Notice, the warning your school district needs to give you before changing your child's special education services.

In an excerpt from "IDEA 2004: A Parent Handbook for School Age Children with Learning Disabilities," author Shelley Smith explains the seven points that state education departments will take most seriously when parents lodge complaints against their districts.

A parent who has studied special education law shares what she's learned both professionally and as an advocate for her children.