Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Laws of Special Education in US

Special education refers to the education of children with physical disorders or disabilities, psychiatric disorders, exciting distress, behavioral disorders and learning disorders. Traditional learning techniques or school programs do not adequately meet the necessities of these children. Children with special education needs are assured rights to services in schools under federal and state laws. These laws include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA 1997), and No Child Left Behind (NCLB). These laws assurance special education programs and financial support for immobilized children and youth in the United States.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 is a centralized law that governs all special education services for children in the United States. The main objective of IDEA is to supply free and appropriate public education in the least restraining environment. The IDEA 2004 is a revision or reauthorization of IDEA 1997, which preserves the civil rights guarantees of IDEA 1997, but makes considerable changes regarding how schools determine whether a child has learning disability and requirements special education services. Services to very young children, i.e., infants and child, are also comes under the IDEA. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights legislative act, which excludes discrimination against children with disabilities and supplies them with reasonable accommodations. Under section 504, any person who has an injury that considerably limits a major life activity is considered disabled.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines all educational institutions to meet the needs of children with psychiatric problems. In the United States, measures for the implementation of the Federal laws and procedural defends are different in different states and therefore parents should have a good knowledge of the rules and regulations in their particular area. For any help, parents can always make contact with the regional office of the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

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