Benchmark+6


 * Benchmark Name:** The Education for the Handicapped Act (EHA), 1975


 * Basic Summary of Benchmark:** The purpose of this act is to guarantee free and appropriate education for all children with disabilities ages 5-21, special education and related services should be free, provided by the public agency with no costs to parents. Appropriate education and related services to meet the needs of individual students, to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each child eligible for special education and related services; plan is based on multi-disciplinary assessment and includes a statement of specific special education and related services to be provided to the child, to the maximum extent appropriate, all children and youth with disabilities will be educated in the least restrictive education (LRE) environment. Parents have the right to participate in every decision related to the identification, evaluation, and placement of their child. Parents must give consent for any initial evaluation, assessment or placement decision. Due process procedures assure parents rights to appeal.


 * Key Manifestations:** 1986, 1990 and 1997, 3 new amendments were added to this act. The 1986 amendment extended the purpose of EHA for infants and toddlers. The 1990 amendment extended the act to those with autism and traumatic brain injury and the 1997 amendment further streghthened the rights of students with disabilities by all students having the assurance of accessing the general curriculum. This act changed things in schools by "mainstreaming" the disabled. At first they seperated the disabled from their nondisabled peers and taught them that way, then they eventually integrated them again for the "specials" such as music, art and physical education. But administrators figured that if they could be intergrated some of the time, they could be integrated all of the time.


 * Key Personnel:** This act was enacted by the United States Congress


 * Why/How a Benchmark?** This is a benchmark because it made an effort to renovate the public schools and be able to give needs to all types of students not just the so called "normal" students, but this gives every student attending a public school and equal opportunity to succeed and grow as a student and as a person. This has changed things in schools and since there is this law more schools are willing to enroll handicapped children because this act provides the handicapped children with a certain structure to their learning.