Students With Disabilities Must Benefit From Public School Special Services

In Cone ex rel. Cone v. Randolph County Schools Board of Education, 53 IDELR 113 (M. D. N. C. 2009), the U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina, determined that a district did not provide appropriate services to meet the education needs of a high school student with Fragile X syndrome and Autism. While the court did not indicate the student required a residential placement, it did note that the IEP did not provide a plan for transitions throughout the school day, consistent instruction in all environments, or a plan for communication between school and the student's home. U. S. District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder wrote "[The district's expert] also agreed that more consistency in the information and techniques used with [the student] is beneficial to those with his condition." IEPs teams must be mindful of each student's individual needs when developing educational plans to confer educational benefit.