In The Politics of Autism, I write about special education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
From President Biden's request for fiscal year (FY) 2022 discretionary funding:
Increases Support for Children with Disabilities. All children—including those with disabilities—should be provided with the services and support they need to thrive in school and graduate ready for college or a career. To this end, the discretionary request provides $15.5 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants that support special education and related services for students with disabilities in grades PreK through 12. This historic $2.6 billion increase would, for the first time in eight years, increase the Federal share of the cost of providing services to students with disabilities, and is a significant first step toward fully funding IDEA. The discretionary request also provides $732 million for IDEA Part C, an increase of $250 million above the 2021 enacted level. IDEA Part C supports early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities or delays and funds services that have a proven track record of 8 improving academic and developmental outcomes. This increase in funding would be paired with reforms to improve access to these vital services for underserved children, including children of color and children from low-income families.
