Ford ex rel. Ford v. Long Reach Unified School District

This case arises under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq. It concerns a student, Amanda Ford, who is generally considered gifted, who scores very high on traditional, standardized IQ tests designed to measure intellectual ability, but who is doing very poorly in school. Amanda’s parents brought this action challenging the District’s assessment, required by 20 U.S.C. § 1414 , and its conclusion that she is not disabled. The state’s hearing officer upheld the assessment and the district court, in turn, upheld the hearing officer’s decision.

The parents believe that Amanda is entitled to special education services under IDEA for a condition described as a “central auditory processing disorder.” They rely on a California regulation that makes students eligible for services if they have a “severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement.” 5 Cal.Code Regs. tit. 5, § 3030(j). The district court held that the hearing officer correctly ruled the assessment that Amanda was not a learning disabled child was an adequate assessment under 20 U.S.C. § 1414 .

IQ Testing

The principal issue in this appeal is whether the…