The Education of Children and Youth with Special Needs: What Do the Laws Say? Interim Update.

Overview & Synopsis

This newsletter issue reviews the educational and civil rights of children and youth with disabilities through the age of 21, with summaries of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and related federal legislation. Noted are unresolved problems in the reauthorization of IDEA and the permanent authorization of requirements mandating the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and procedural safeguards. The last 25 years of federal education laws and court cases are examined. The major provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, IDEA, and the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act are summarized. A final section provides brief reviews of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, the Handicapped Children's Protection Act of 1986, the Temporary Child Care for Handicapped Children and Crisis Nurseries Act of 1986, the Developmental Disabilities and Bill of Rights Act Amendments of 1987, the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. A general discussion of state laws relating to children and youth with disabilities is also provided. A listing of 27 print resources and 15 organizations is attached. (Contains 22 references.) (DB)