The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines special education as specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities and prepare them for further education, employment, and, as needed, independent living. IDEA requires schools to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) as a means to ensure that students with disabilities receive a free, appropriate public education. The IEP provides administrators with proof of compliance, teachers with formalized plans, parents with the opportunity to participate in decision making, and students with an appropriate education.

The concept of the IEP process used today emerged in the 1960s as a means to develop an instruction plan to meet the unique need of students with disabilities, whichfederallegislationmandatedin1974. Amulti-disciplinary team builds an IEP that matches instruction and ...