The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. Children and youth (ages 3-21) receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004
A preschool child with a disability is a child who is at least three years of age and not yet six years of age and meets the definition of a child with a disability or, at the choice of the school district, is a child who is experiencing developmental delays in one or more of the following areas: physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development or adaptive development; and because of it, needs special education and related services.
A school age child with a disability is eligible for special education and/or related services in the category of one of the following areas: Autism, Cognitive Disability, Deaf-blindness, Deafness, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech or Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury or Visual Impairment including Blindness.