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Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA)
Also known as the EAHCA, this act makes sure that all students who have a disability receive an appropriate, free, and public education. Not only does this act ensure students with a free and public education, but requires Individualized Action Plans for students with disabilities for the first time. Least restrictive environment is also incorporated into this act, essentially allowing all students to participate in the same class.
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Education of the Handicapped Act Ammendments
Similar to the Education of All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, this law has the same goal of providing free public education to students. This law offers programs for children that are younger than 2 years of age. After 2 years, the law requires access to free and appropriate education from the ages of 3 to 5 years.
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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
This act does not allow the general economy to discriminate against people that have disabilities. People who have disabilities are given an equal opportunity to employment and public goods. In addition to giving equal opportunity, this act added disabilities such as AIDS.
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Importantly, this act is a renaming of the "Education for All Handicapped Children Act" to more politically correct terms. This goes along with the "people-first" language, stating that people are people- some have disabilities and some do not! This act also adds a few disabilities including autism and traumatic brain injury.
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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (105-17)
This another addition of the IDEA in which the law improves and provides more services to people who have disabilities. One change guarantees that students who have disabilities still receive proper services, even if they are removed from a school. This act also gives more responsibility to the teachers and schools as a whole to make sure enough inclusion is happening and other proper general education curricula. -
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
The purpose of this act is to level out the playing field across public schools. Each child should have as equal an opportunity as possible at a well-performing public school. This involves reallocation of federal funds and overall improvement of performance of all schools. This act also allows students more flexibility in choosing school, preventing students from being "trapped" in a traditionally failing school. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA)
This is the most recent improvement of the original "Education for All Handicapped Children Act." This improvement implements response to intervention plan which: diagnoses a disability and does not require severe disabilities or impairments in order to qualify for special education services. Federal funds towards public education and early integration were also increased because of this act.
