Empowering Patients Who Have Specific Learning Disabilities

In 1992, the United States enacted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which required public schools that receive federal dollars to provide free and appropriate public education for all minors, regardless of any form of disability or infirmity.¹ One of the hallmarks of the IDEA was the introduction of the Individual Education Program (IEP), which is a legally binding contract between minors, their parents or guardians, and a school. Individual Education Programs outline the ways a child will need to be accommodated to be able to successfully participate in classroom activities and curriculum. The programs “must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document.”²