Which law recognizes specific learning disabilities as one of its disability categories?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the law that explicitly recognizes specific learning disabilities as one of its disability categories. This federal legislation ensures that children with disabilities, including those with specific learning disabilities, have the right to receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) that is tailored to their individual needs. IDEA outlines the processes for identifying, evaluating, and providing services to children with disabilities, ensuring they receive the support necessary to succeed in school.

This law plays a crucial role in safeguarding the educational rights of students with specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and others, and mandates that schools develop individualized education programs (IEPs) for eligible students to accommodate their learning challenges.

While other laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act, address disability rights more broadly—including ensuring access to services and prohibiting discrimination—they do not specifically categorize learning disabilities in the same way as IDEA does. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act is an earlier version of IDEA and primarily served as a precursor to the current legislation, but does not exist in the same form today.