IDEA

What is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that helps school-aged children (including teenagers) with disabilities, such as juvenile arthritis (JA) and related conditions, so they can participate in learning activities both in and outside of school. Under IDEA, school-aged children with disabilities can receive materials, equipment, and services to help them participate in educational and other school activities once they start kindergarten and then continuing through high school graduation. Most of the information in this section will be about how IDEA helps school-aged children.

Additionally, newborns, infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers to age five with disabilities can also receive materials, equipment, and services to help them develop and be prepared for school once they start kindergarten. You will learn some things about the benefits for this age group later on in this section.