PUBLIC LAW 94-142—NOV. 29, 1975
89 STAT. 775
" (8) State and local educational agencies have a responsibility to provide education for all handicapped children, but present financial resources are inadequate to meet the special educational needs of handicapped children; and " (9) it is in the national interest that the Federal Government assist State and local eiforts to provide programs to meet the educational needs of handicapped children in order to assure equal protection of the law. " (c) I t is the purpose of this Act to assure that all handicapped children have available to them, within the time periods specified in section 612(2)(B), a free appropriate public education which empha- -^"fe, p. 773. sizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs, to assure that the rights of handicapped children and their parents or guardians are protected, to assist States and localities to provide for the education of all handicapped children, and to assess and assure the effectiveness of efforts to educate handicapped children.". (b) The heading for section 601 of the Act (20 U.S.C. 1401) is 20 USC 1401 amended to read as follows: °°*®"SHORT TITLE; STATEMENT OF FINDINGS AND PURPOSE". DEFINITIONS
SEC. 4. (a) Section 602 of the Act (20 U.S.C. 1402) is amended— 20 USC 1401. (1) in paragraph (1) thereof, by striking out "crippled" and inserting in lieu thereof "orthopedically impaired", and by inserting immediately after "impaired children" the following: ", or children with specific learning disabilities,"; (2) in paragraph (5) thereof, by inserting immediately after "instructional materials," the following: "telecommunications, sensory, and other technological aids and devices,"; (3) in the last sentence of paragraph (15) thereof, by inserting immediately after "environmental" the following: ", cultural, or economic"; and (4) by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph s: " (16) The term 'special education' means specially designed instruction, at no cost to parents or guardians, to meet the unique needs of a handicapped child, including classroom instruction, instruction in physical education, home instruction, and instruction in hospitals and institutions. " ( 1 7) The term 'related services' means transportation, and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services (including speech pathology and audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, and medical and counseling services, except that such medical services shall be for diagnostic and evaluation purposes only) as may be required to assist a handicapped child to benefit from special education, and includes the early identification and assessment of handicapping conditions in children. " ( 1 8) The term 'free a p p r o p r i a t e public education' means special education and related services which (A) have been provided at public expense, under public supervision and direction, and without charge, (B) meet the standards of the State educational agency, (C) include an appropriate preschool, elementary, or secondary school education in the State involved, and (D) are provided in conformity with the individualized education program required under section 614(a)(5). Post, p. 784.
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