IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The IDEA was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to make sure that children with disabilities had the opportunity to receive equal access to a free appropriate public education. IDEA guides how states and school districts provide special education and related services to more than six million eligible children with disabilities.
To learn more about IDEA, these websites provide good information:
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities www.nichcy.org/idea.htm
Department of Education Website idea.ed.gov