This digest examines the mandates and requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (Its scope does not include the IDEA's Part H program.) The digest gives a brief history of the IDEA, procedures for obtaining a copy of the IDEA and its regulations, and procedures for obtaining a copy of an individual state's special education law. A section on the purposes and promises of the IDEA reviews the definition of a free appropriate public education, eligibility requirements, the concept of the least restrictive environment, and types of related services. The next section discusses how to access special education services, focusing on evaluation of the child, parental disagreement with evaluation results, use of evaluation results, and re-evaluations. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is described, and information is provided on the role of educators and parents in developing the IEP. Procedural safeguards established to protect the rights of parents and students and to provide a mechanism for resolving disputes are reviewed. The IDEA's definitions of disabilities and IDEA regulations concerning selected components of the IEP are attached. (JDD)