Hello! I have been an education/administrative specialist in public and private schools for 23 years. My focus has been on Transition Services with emphasis on serving students with special needs, aged 18-21. The first listed purpose for the Federal law known as The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is “to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.”