Individualized education program development in early childhood education: a disabled children's childhood studies perspective

This article describes the results of a disabled children's childhood studies analysis of Section 1414 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004), which outlines definitions and procedures related to evaluations, eligibility determinations, individualized education programs (IEP), and educational placements for disabled children in the United States. Within the context of this key piece of legislation, disabled children are constructed as deficient, dependent, and incompetent. A disabled children's childhood studies approach to the processes described in Section 1414 calls for a reframing of disability, and the creation of interdependent methods for supporting the active participation of disabled children in creating and implementing individualized education programs. This paper provides anecdotes illustrative of the current IEP process, and draws on disabled children's childhood studies perspectives to show possibilities for a participatory approach to IEP development and implementation.