More than one-half of the children with disabilities did not receive appropriate educational services that would enable such children to have full equal opportunity. Over 1,000,000 of the children with disabilities were excluded entirely from the public school systems. There were many children with disabilities participating in regular school programs whose disabilities prevented such children from having a successful educational experience because their disabilities went undetected, also because the lack of adequate services within the public school systems. Families were often forced to find services outside the public school system and often resulting in having families drive great distances at their own expense to find the appropriate care they were seeking. .
Since the enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 it has been successfully ensuring children with disabilities and the families of such children access to a free and appropriate public education and improving educational results for children with disabilities. Ever since P.L 94-142 was passed it has been amended 4 more times and in 1997 it became P.L. 105-17, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendment. .
Today mainly everyone is affected by someone that has a disability, whether it's at a grocery store, movie theater, or restaurant. Children in school with a disability shouldn't be denied an education just because they are different. With IDEA every child with a disability is properly educated from the age of 3 to 21 years of age. There are Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP) and Individual Educational Plans (IEP) that document the child's main goals and objectives to help them achieve success for the future so when the child is ready to graduate they will be able to accomplish a successful living. .
IDEA caters to the needs of children with special needs. Since the re-amendment of this act they have included:.