Research On The Individualized Programs In The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Of America

The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 is the first federal law that specifically addresses the education of children with disabilities in the United States.This landmark law has revolutionized the education of Americans with disabilities.In order to provide free appropriate public education for all children with disabilities,it has been reauthorized for five times till now.The formulation and implementation of individualized programs for children with disabilities have become an important way to ensure the appropriateness of education.They are the core links of special education and are the focus of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.In order to better meet the needs of children with disabilities,the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act stipulated that individualized program team develop individualized programs based upon the individual student’s needs for children with disabilities of different ages.Individualized program is not a list of services,but a written document with legal effect.Individualized programs can be divided into individualized family service plan,individualized education program and individualized transition plan.The individualized family service plan is the basis for providing early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities between the ages of 0-2 and their families,and its purpose is to improve the family’s ability to raise infants and toddlers with disabilities and reduce or eliminate the developmental delay of infants and toddlers with disabilities.The individualized education program provides special education and related services for children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 to help them involve and make progress in the general education curriculum.The individualized transition plan can help disabled adolescents aged 14 and over to prepare for their life,education and employment after graduation,and smoothly transition from student life to adult life.The procedures for developing individualized programs are basically the same,except that there are differences in terms of service objects and service contents.Individualized programs link children with disabilities from birth to adulthood in all stages of development.It is an effective way to meet the needs of children with disabilities and enhance the quality of special education.The process of individualized programs from proposing to expanding to continuous improvement provides some lessons and reflections for special education of our country which is in the critical period of reform and development.