Special Education Case Summary

The case of Cedar Rapids Community School District Vs. Garret F. (1999), is a court case concerning student IDEA and its provisions surrounding the line between related services and medical services. In this case, the student, Garret F., is a student with a physical disability. He is paralyzed from the neck down and has medical needs. He is able to function within the general education classroom, as his learning abilities remain fully intact. Able to function and perform in the general education with the help of modern technology, Garrett still requires services that others don’t, in terms of required services. Along with other medical conditions, he is life dependent on a ventilator, and therefore needs specified assistance while at school. Some of these services included urinary catheterization and monitoring of his ventilator and respiratory status. Throughout the first part of his school years, the family provided an individual to attend to Garret throughout the day. Once he reached grade 5, the family asked the school district to provide an assistant to care for his health needs, but they declined the request. The family then took this and appealed it to the courts (Wright & Wright, 2007a). In this case, the IDEA principle FAPE, free means at public expense, was being challenged. In this case, the family was previously providing their …show more content…
As Irving Independent School v. Tatro helped clarify the case of Cedar Rapids Community School District Vs. Garret F., this case will help clarify the solutions of future cases concerning separations between related and medical services. This case has the ability to help within future cases of this same substance, and help ensure that students of special needs obtain the related services necessary to allow them their free public