Adam Coolidge lives with his parents in the Riverdale Local School District, which is in rural northwestern Ohio. In spring 1996, prior to enrolling Adam in kindergarten, his parents met with district representatives to discuss moving him from an early intervention program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). His eligibility for the program was based on a diagnosis of autism. His parents advocated his placement in a regular kindergarten classroom full time, while the district representatives asserted that a more restrictive placement would be appropriate. The IEP (individualized education program) team settled on a placement of five days of each 10 in a regular kindergarten classroom with an aide, with the other five days in a special education class. This article examines the Coolidge case.