Irving Independent School District v Tatro (1984)

This case concerned Amber Tatro, a 7 year-old child with spina bifida. The spina bifida effected Amber's lower extremities and trunk. She was not able to regulate her bowels or control her urine. Because of this disorder she needed a catheter. One of the services that was necessary for Amber was clean intermittent catheterization (CIC), a procedure where a clean catheter is inserted through the urethra and into the bladder to reduce pressure and prevent kidney dysfunction (Batshaw, 1998). Amber required this procedure every 3-4 hours. Each CIC procedure could be accomplished in a relatively short period of time. The parents requested CIC as a related service but the district refused because they contended that it was a medical procedure and not necessary for Amber to receive an "appropriate education."

The case was appealed to the Supreme Court which held that:

1. CIC is a legitimate support service because it allowed Amber to attend school. In its absence, she would need to be served outside of school
2. CIC was a relatively simple and inexpensive procedure that required no specialized training to implement.
3. services such as CIC which permit a child to stay in school are no less related to education than transportation