This report explains federal programs for children with exceptionalities and reviews federal financial support for special education and gifted programs. It analyzes Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs with information on appropriations, authorizing provision, purpose, who receives funding, kinds of activities supported, recent funding history, and funding considerations. Programs covered include: State and Local Grant Programs, Preschool Grants, Early Intervention Programs, and Support Programs (State Program Improvement Grants, administrative provisions, research and innovation, personnel preparation, studies and evaluations, technical assistance and information dissemination, technology development and media. Similar information is provided for gifted and talented grants. The report includes stories about children with exceptionalities who benefit from early intervention, preschool, special education, gifted programming, and support programs to convey the necessity of continued funding for fiscal year 2002 and subsequent years. Also included in the information given on each program are the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC's) recommendations on program funding levels. CEC calls on Congress and the Administration to increase federal spending for programs for children with exceptionalities over the next 6 years and to move funding for the IDEA out of the discretionary budget and into mandatory spending. (CR)