What are related services?
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008Related services are developmental, corrective and other supportive services that are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. Some children need related services to meet their individually designed special education goals.
Related services can include, but are not limited to,
Audiology;
Counseling services;
Early identification and assessment of disabilities in children;
Medical services (only to diagnose or evaluate a child’s disability);
Occupational therapy;
Orientation and mobility services;
Parent counseling and training;
Physical therapy;
Psychological services;
Recreation;
Rehabilitation counseling services;
School health services (including assistance with health-related needs during the school day);
Social work services in school;
Speech-language pathology services;
Transportation.
Assistive Technology
Who provides related services?
Professionals who meet state requirements may provide related services in the area of their expertise. Paraprofessionals and assistants who are trained and supervised in accordance with State law or policy may also assist in providing these services.
Who decides which related services are right for my child?
Your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team decides which related services to include in your child’s IEP. As the parent, you are an important member of this team. The IEP team gathers information from evaluations and members of the IEP team. This information is used to determine your child’s individual needs. Related services are identified to meet these needs. No related service is automatically included or denied due to your child’s disability. Qualified service providers for proposed related services can also be important members of the IEP team