After a student undergoes an evaluation for special education services, the IEP team will determine if the student is eligible to receive special education services. If so, some of the services provided to the student will be aimed directly at overcoming the obstacles created by the student’s disability.
Related services, however, are not aimed directly at the student’s disability, but instead assist the student to access or benefit from the special education services already being provided. Because of this, the need for related services can be easily overlooked, but they can be instrumental in helping a student succeed throughout their education and parents should consider asking the school district to provide them when appropriate.
Some examples of related services include transportation assistance, speech-language pathology, audiology testing and assistance, interpretation services, psychological testing and therapy, physical therapy, recreational programs, social work services, counseling, assistance from school nurse staff, mobility services, and diagnostic medical services. Related services can even include counseling, therapy, and home services for the student’s family, if these will assist with implementation of the student’s IEP. This list, however, is not exhaustive, and if the IEP team determines that something else is necessary to assist a student with a disability, then that can also be provided as a related service.
If you have any questions about your child’s receipt of special education services, or their eligibility for related services like those described above,
contact me at mgove@govelawoffice.com or 413-570-3170.