IDEA: What is a FAPE?

Each section of the course, “Beginning Advocacy: Introduction to Special Education Advocacy” has, I hope, useful information for parents of children with disabilities. I have tried to make the course a good foundation of knowledge for beginning educational advocacy, so that parents grow in their knowledge and ability to advocate. Special education can be overwhelming… and the distilling of all this information into manageable chunks has been a challenge!

So… I am creating a series of blog posts to supplement the course. This is the first series, several posts on the topic a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004. In this post, I will dive into the concept of FAPE, its significance in securing the right education for children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and how parents and caregivers can advocate for their child's educational needs.

Key Takeaways From This Series:

• FAPE refers to the education offered to children with disabilities. 
• IDEA 2004 outlines the components of FAPE, including specialized instruction, related supports, and related services.
• Procedural FAPE focuses on the process and safeguards of IDEA.
• Substantive FAPE examines the standards and criteria for determining if an educational program is considered to provide an appropriate education.