ABSTRACT
This chapter offers an overview of the definitions of disability described in Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA). In addition, it provides discussion on aspects of the labels that have been contested, especially in the Disability Studies in Education field. The aim is to provide candid information about the influential educational policy, IDEIA, while also offering critical examination of the language practices contained in it. The influential medical model in education emphasizes a need to determine and diagnose impairment so teachers and professionals can anticipate and address the related educational need and provide special services. As Brantlinger points out, parent advocacy is a powerful force to secure access to appropriate special education services, which creates contexts in which parents who are not accustomed to the mores and discourses of schools are less able to access appropriate services for their children.
