ABSTRACT
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that states that a free and appropriate education must be provided to all students who have a disability, meet their state’s eligibility criteria, and have an educational need for special education services. Other Health Impairment is the eligibility category most often considered for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If a child is considered for services under the Other Health Impairment eligibility, he must have a disability that significantly impacts his ability to learn and perform in the classroom to the extent that he would require special education services. Generally, children who qualify for IDEA are more impaired and require more services than those best served by a 504 plan. IDEA requires a formalized evaluation that might include a psychoeducational evaluation of the child’s intelligence, academic levels, and processing abilities and possibly behavior rating scales.
