Special Education was created for those students that have difficulty learning or accessing the general education curriculum due to a disability. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, was sanctioned by Congress in 1975 to ensure that students with disabilities would receive a Free and Appropriate Education, FAPE. There is a process in which individuals qualify for Special Education and/or related services such as Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy. Please see the diagrams below.