The TL/DR...

  • Since its initial enactment in 1975, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has been expanded to include requirements for early childhood special education and early intervention services with the goal of improving developmental outcomes for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
  • Practices such as embedded learning and authentic interactions with young learners within their natural home environment can support meaningful development of basic skills and provide families with a more active role in their child’s learning.
  • The use of job-embedded coaching with performance-based feedback in the special education field is an effective form of professional development that is content focused and collaborative.

The right of every child with a disability to a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment—this guarantee is at the core of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). On November 29, 2025, special education teachers, service providers, families, and advocates celebrated the 50-year anniversary of this landmark statute which has benefited millions of young children with disabilities since it was first enacted. Prior to this legislation, many children with disabilities were denied access to public education. IDEA ended this exclusionary practice by legislating the right for children with disabilities to receive a free public education. In the fifty years since its enactment, amendments to IDEA adopted by Congress have led to significant reforms in education that go beyond securing the right for a child with a disability to attend a public school.

Specifically, the statute now includes provisions emphasizing the importance of inclusion, accountability, outcomes, and evidence-based practices in providing special education services and accommodations that meet the unique needs of children with disabilities. But most significant, in 1986 the statute was amended to establish early intervention and early childhood special education services with the goal of improving long-term developmental outcomes for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The revisions made to the IDEA over the last fifty years have sought to ensure that children with disabilities have access to the same educational opportunities as their peers without disabilities and that the special education services they receive are targeted to their specific needs and produce desired outcomes. Christan Pankiewicz (Coogle) and Margaret Weiss, associate professors in the Special Education Program at George Mason University, were recently invited to share their thoughts on how the implementation of the IDEA has changed the field of early childhood special education. Their views will be featured in an upcoming special issue of the Journal of Special Education Preparation that will soon be published in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the statute.

IDEA requires early intervention services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities.

Implementation of the IDEA is the cornerstone for early childhood special education and early intervention and requires delivery of these services for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. The goal is to maximize the child’s ability to achieve greater independence as they age. Education experts emphasize the importance of delivering early intervention services within the context of the child and family’s natural environments. Families play an important role in this effort by becoming active partners and primary decision makers in the well-being of their child.

Embedded learning incorporated into daily routines can help a child develop basic skills.

An essential component of early childhood special education and early intervention is embedded learning. This practice is driven by authentic interactions between the child and their parent or teacher and involves engaging the young learner in activities that are part of everyday routines at home. Because of the repetitive nature of these activities, the child has many chances to practice the new skills they learn. This helps them gain greater proficiency in accomplishing the task at hand, reinforces their learning, and provides them with increased confidence in their own abilities. As the child progresses in their learning, different activities can be integrated into routines at home that will allow the child to develop new skills. An important benefit of conducting embedded learning within the context of the natural home environment is that it provides families with the chance to take an active part in their child’s learning.

Inclusion

Inclusion is a defining feature of a high-quality education system where children with disabilities feel a sense of belonging and perceive that they are valued and supported. A system founded on the principle of inclusion celebrates the strengths of a child with disabilities. An inclusive learning experience should be one where the teacher or parent encourages the child to participate meaningfully and actively in learning activities. It is not enough for the child to just simply be “present.”

Universal Design for Learning

The effective implementation of IDEA relies on the use of research-backed practices that can help educators adapt their teaching methods and strategies to the needs of their students with disabilities. One practice that has demonstrated positive academic outcomes centers on the integration of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework into instruction. UDL allows for the presentation of learning materials in alternate formats that are accessible to a student with disabilities. By accommodating the diverse ways in which children with disabilities learn, the UDL approach is effective in removing barriers to learning that a student would otherwise encounter.

Job-embedded coaching can benefit teachers.

Education experts say that to keep pace with the latest innovations and advances in early childhood special education, teachers need professional development in the form of job-embedded coaching that includes performance-based feedback. In contrast to a “one and done” workshop, job-embedded coaching is content focused, ongoing, sustained, collaborative, and specific to the issues an educator may experience with a student at a particular moment in time.

Early childhood special education and early intervention services often require an interdisciplinary approach.

Developing a plan for the delivery of early childhood special education and early intervention services often requires the collaboration of professionals with expertise in a variety of disciplines. In addition to educators, a team could include a child or school psychologist, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, nurse, or other professional versed in interventions or services that may benefit a young learner. According to some experts, the complexity of developing a plan for a child who could benefit from these services highlights the need for enhancing special education teacher preparation pathways with an interdisciplinary approach that is aligned with other professional standards and practices.


To learn more about degree offerings in the Special Education Program at George Mason University, please visit the program website.