Irving Independent School District v. Amber Tatro
Warner University
A child with disabilities is a major focus in today’s education. Achieving my Bachelors in Special Education, I need to be aware of the need to ensure appropriate education for all children with disabilities. “The education of children with disabilities is a top national priority. Our nation’s special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), sets high standards for their achievement and guides how special help and services are made available in schools to address their individual needs (National Dissemination)”. This is my biggest challenge. I feel with the right tools and help with administration; my job will guarantee a bright future for my students with disabilities. I came across a case, Irving Independent School District v. Amber Tatro. The findings of this case gave me some insight on the statues and limitations that I as an educator have to abide by. But it also gave me hope that we the educators have the right to make such access meaningful to handicapped children.
Amber Tatro was born with spina bifida. “As a result, she suffers from orthopedic and speech impairments and a neurogenic bladder, which prevents her from emptying her bladder voluntarily. Consequently, she must be catheterized (CIC), a procedure involving the insertion of a catheter into the urethra to drain the bladder, has been prescribed. The procedure is a simple one that may be performed in a few minutes by a layperson with less than an hour’s training (Irving)”. If CIC is not performed every three to four hours, it could cause injury of the kidneys.
In 1979, Amber Tatro was provided special education with an individualized education program under the requirements of the Education of the Handicapped Act. This provided Amber with special services while attending early childhood development classes. Amber’s individualized
Cited: "ERIC - Education Resources Information Center." ERIC – World’s Largest Digital Library of Education Literature. Web. 19 May 2011. <http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?searchtype=keyword>. "Irving Independent Sch Dist v. Amber Tatro, 468 U.S. 883 (1984) - Special Education Cases - Wrightslaw." Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy. Web. 19 May 2011. <http://www.wrightslaw.com/law/caselaw/ussupct.tatro.htm>. "National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities." NICHCY. Web. 19 May 2011. <http://nichcy.org/schoolage>.