Any type of law has a purpose to protect rights and provide some type of security to the people they affect. Since the late 1950s, there have been many laws put in place to protect the rights to education for all students, yes all: red people, blue people, people with giant big toes, and long noses. Now I say that to not poke fun, but to really illustrate the point that EVERYONE has a right to education. this became practice when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was effected to law in 1975. With IDEA came 6 principles that would affect how schools around the nation treated and taught those students with disabilities.
1. IEP- Individualized Education Plan
2. Due Process- right to have case heard
3.Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
4. Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
5. Zero reject/child find
6. Non-discriminatory Evaluation
With these principles, it has become clearer how to go about educating children of all kinds.
Now, WHY ARE THESE PRINCIPLES OF IDEA SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW AS A PROFESSIONAL AND PARENT???????????????????????????????????????
It is important to know these in general because we will all come into some contact with children with disabilities and it is so important to know our options and know how best to help them in their situations. It could be your own child, grandchild, niece, nephew, student, or neighbor, and the best way to ensure all rights to these children is by having our own knowledge of their rights.
Second, it is important for professionals to know these principles to help advocate for their students or to know students rights when certain cases present themselves. As a professional you really want to have these down so you can make the best decisions possible for the students you serve.
The more we as a society know these laws, the greater education we can provide our future children to help them become fellow contributors to society.
