The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—formerly known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act—is a federal statute that requires a free and appropriate public school education for eligible students ages 3–21. Eligible students are those identified by a team of professionals as having a disability that adversely affects academic performance, requiring special education and related services. IDEA is located in the United States Code at 20 U.S.C. §1400.

Among students who receive special education services under IDEA, the category of disabilities with the largest reported percentage of students is specific learning disabilities. A specific learning disability is a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using spoken or written language that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.

Thirty-three percent of all students who received special education services had specific learning disabilities; 19 percent had speech or language impairments; and 15 percent had other health impairments—including having limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems such as a heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, nephritis, asthma, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning, leukemia, or diabetes.

Students with autism, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances each accounted for between 5 and 11 percent of students served under IDEA. Students with multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, visual impairments, traumatic brain injuries, and deafness/blindness each accounted for 2 percent or less of those served under IDEA.

In Vermont, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that mandates a free and appropriate public education for eligible students with disabilities, aged 3 to 21. This law ensures that students who have disabilities that impact their academic performance are identified by a team of professionals and receive the necessary special education and related services. Under IDEA, the most common category of disability for which students receive special education services is specific learning disabilities. This encompasses disorders in understanding or using language, which can affect various basic skills such as reading, writing, or mathematical calculations. Other significant categories include speech or language impairments and other health impairments, which can range from chronic conditions like asthma or diabetes to acute health issues. Vermont, in compliance with federal law, provides services to students with a range of disabilities, including autism, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances, among others. The state's education system is designed to accommodate and support students with varying needs to ensure they have access to suitable educational opportunities.