“It’s okay, I know that he just listens differently than I do,” said a second grade child as he read to a student in my classroom who had Autism. The student with Autism was jumping up and down and playing with a small toy next to the boy reading to him. If the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) had not been passed these two students most likely would not have attended the same school. That second grade child would not be able to learn and interact with students who were significantly different than he was. His views of the world might be narrower and he might grow up not understanding that just because someone acted differently, did not mean that he/she was weird or strange. Due to IDEA students with disabilities throughout
