The Role of Special Education Interest Groups in National Policy ...

The Meaning of Special Education:
Eligible Children and IDEA Provisions

In the 2005–2006 school year, there were close to 7 million school-aged students (ages 3–21) receiving special education services under IDEA.²⁹ These students comprised approximately 13 percent of the total school-aged population. The students who qualified for special education form a very diverse group. The largest proportion of students, a little over half, was classified as having learning disabilities. A learning disability refers to a discrepancy between the student’s cognitive ability and achievement, not explained by other disabling conditions (e.g., sensory impairments). The second largest proportion of eligible students had speech impairments. Other categories of eligibility include mental retardation, emotional disturbance, multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, visual impairments, autism, deaf-blindness, traumatic brain injury, and developmental delay. The students’ special education needs may range from academic, communicative, social-emotional, and physical needs to self-help needs, or a combination thereof. There is also variation in the way in which the disability manifests itself within each eligibility category. A disabling condition can range from “mild” to “significant.” For example, a person eligible for special education under the category of “hearing impaired” may have mild, moderate, or significant hearing loss, or be deaf. Similarly, the range of disability under the category of visual impairment covers a person with partial vision to a person who is blind.

The entitlements of the statute are articulated broadly and are the same for each individual student. In other words, IDEA does not mandate any type of service for any particular group of students, but allows for variation based on the unique needs of each eligible student, as determined by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team at the school level. The act mandates that each eligible student has an IEP, which is developed annually with school officials, teachers, and parents. This program lists the individualized goals for the students and the related services that are needed to benefit from special education. Special