Public Law 94-142: The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, now called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), requires states to provide a free public education and adequate (FAPE) for every child, regardless of disability. This federal law was the first to clearly define the rights of children with disabilities to receive special education services if their disability affects their academic performance. A parent of a special education student also has basic rights under IDEA, including the right to have their child evaluated by the school district and to be included when the school district meets about the child or makes decisions about his or her education. If a child is identified as needing special education services, the school district must develop a written individual education program (IEP) for the child, which includes related services. An IEP is a statement of a student's special education and related services, including speech-language services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, counseling, assistive technology, and transportation. Additionally, this individualized, legally binding plan outlines reasonable educational goals for the student and is reviewed and updated annually. The Individualized Education Program is developed by a team that includes the student's parents, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, a school representative (principal), a person with expertise in assessment (school psychologist), and others on request of IEP participants. The primary task of the IEP team is to plan a program of special education and related services that is reasonably calculated to provide significant educational benefit. The IEP process includes a review of the evaluation...... half of the document...... the behavior was not a manifestation of the student's disability and the student is suspended beyond 10 days, from educational services, including access to the general curriculum, must continue. Special education services cannot be terminated during the manifestation or long-term suspension process. Works Cited Fischer, L., Schimmel, D., & Stellman, L. (2007). Teachers and the law (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. National Alliance on Mental Illness (2008, Fall). Understand your legal rights under special education laws. NAMI Beginnings, (12), 3-8. National Outreach Center for Children with Disabilities (2010). Application of disciplinary rules to students with disabilities. Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/SchoolsAndAdministrators/Pages/discipline.aspxWright, P.W.D., & Wright, P.D. (2010). Wrightslaw. Retrieved from http://wrightslaw.com