Moving IDEA Out of the Education Department Would Harm Kids with Disabilities

In The Politics of Autism, I write about social services, special education, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

Project 2025 proposed to turn IDEA into a "no strings" block grant, effectively gutting the law and destroying protections that disability families have long relied upon. During the 2024 race, Trump denied any connection to the project, but now he proclaims it, praising OMB director Russ Vought "of Project 2025 fame."

Trump and Vought are now accomplishing their goal of ravaging the law. Instead of shifting it to a block grant, they have tried firing most of the staff who enforce it. 

Jacqueline Rodriguez is the CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Chad Rummel is the executive director of the Council for Exceptional Children.  They write at USA Today:

Some have suggested shifting IDEA to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Nearly every major disability organization rejects this proposal:

• The HHS lacks the statutory authority, expertise and infrastructure to oversee IDEA effectively.
• Families rely on Parent Training and Information Centers funded by the Department of Education – supports that HHS is not equipped to maintain.
• Civil rights enforcement would be weakened at the exact moment students are still recovering from disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Moving special education to a health agency risks reverting to a medical model that isolates, segregates and stigmatizes students with disabilities.

This move is not only harmful; it is unlawful. Relocating the Office of Special Education Programs without congressional action violates the Department of Education Organization Act and IDEA.

Students with disabilities and other learning and developmental differences depend on the Department of Education's expertise. Nearly 1 million students with autism rely on IDEA’s requirements for individualized supports.

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Private lawsuits can take years and require financial resources that most families cannot afford. A child denied special education services cannot wait that long. Federal investigation, oversight and technical assistance happen earlier, cost families nothing and can resolve issues before irreparable harm is done.

It is also important to remember that support for special education is not a partisan issue. For nearly 50 years, IDEA has been championed by Republicans, Democrats, independents and families who don’t follow politics at all. All parents, regardless of their political beliefs, care about their children’s future. That shared commitment is exactly why dismantling the federal role would carry consequences far beyond Washington.