Eligibility as Environmental Construct (EEC): Applying an Ecological Lens to IDEA Practice

The Eligibility as Environmental Construct (EEC) framework interprets IDEA eligibility through an ecological lens, deepening the law's focus on access and participation. EEC repositions educational impact as a relational phenomenon emerging from the interaction between learner and environment. The framework draws on Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, Vygotsky's social constructivism, and neurodiversity-affirming ethics to align IDEA's guarantees of Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) with ecological reasoning. The accompanying heuristic—the context-dependent communicator/learner—shows how this perspective can inform eligibility documentation and goal writing without creating new diagnostic categories. Assessment centers on contextual access rather than categorical severity, asking whether specialized instruction is needed to enable participation in environments typical for age peers. By integrating ecological theory, jurisprudence, and inclusive ethics, EEC offers practitioners a coherent framework for interpreting eligibility as environmental access.