Related Services
In this section, you will find information regarding related services and requirements. For specific questions not addressed in this section, contact CMCSS Elementary Coordinator, Sara Pendleton at sara.pendleton@cmcss.net or 931.553.1160.
Information on this page was gathered from the Tennessee Department of Education.
Related services are other supportive services that assist a child with a disability. These services are included on an IEP to (1) help the child advance appropriately toward attaning the annual goals, (2) help the child be invovled in and making pogress in the general education curriculum and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities, and (3) help the child be educated and participate with other childrenwith disabilities and nondisabled children in activities.
Hearing Services
The purpose of hearing services is to support students who need specially designed instruction in order to benefit from his/her educational program based on identified deficits. These deficits may inlcude, but are not limited to, an inability to communicate effectively, performing significantly below-average academically, an inability to navigate the school building, or the inability to take care of self-care needs without support.
Hearing Referral Process
Occupational Thearpy
The purpose of occupational therapy is to support the student in their "occupation" which is to be a student and perform the skills necessary to progress academically and functionally within the classroom. A licenced occupational therapist might assist students in providing intervention to address or support a student's aread of needs through occupational therapy. The therapist will work directly with students, teachers, administrators, and other specialized instructional support personnel, and parents to help students participate in naturally occurring daily routines and activities in the school setting.
Skills and functions that can be supported by an occupational thearpist include:
motor self-help
cognition self-regulation
excutive functioning an adequate sensory system
Referral Process
Complete the "Request for Occupational Therapy Services" form.
Upload it to the student's file in TN Pulse.
Email it to the OT assigned to your building.
The following options are included:
Evaluation-IEP Team decision or direct parent request
Screen- Unsure if a full evaluation is warranted. Student will spend 1:1 time with therapist outside of classroom.
Observation or Transfer: Team is unsure if a full evaluation is warranted and needs input from the OT. *Use to notify of transfer student with current OT services.
Physical Therapy
The purpose of physical therapy is to support a student's ability to access the educational environment. A licensed physical therapist assist a student's physical safety and functional participation in a variety of settings throughout the school day. The primary rold of the school physical therapist is to help students benefit from their educational program within the educational environment.
Referral Process
Complete the "Request for Physical Therapy Services" form.
Upload it to the student's file in TN Pulse.
Email it to the PT assigned to your building.
The following options are included on the referral form:
Transfer Student- Student has an IEP with existing PT services on IEP
Evlaution-Recommended by the IEP Team
Observation-Used when team is unsure if a full evaluation is warranted
** A doctor's note written within 14 days of the evaluation is required.
Speech Therapy
The purpose of speech therapy is to support students that have communcation disorders gain access to the educational environment. Speech therapy services may be provided along a continuum, which includes indirect or direct constulative services, suppor with the general educational setting, pull-out to special education setting, co-teaching with classroom teachers and other support staff, community-based teaching, or serving students in the most restrictive settings, such as a residential facility.
Speech Language Referral Process
Speech, Fluency, Voice- Complete a Speech Only Referral Fom. Follow the procedures established at your school to submit the form to the SLP.
Language- Completed the Support Team Process. The support team will alert the SLP if it is determined that a screening or testing need to be completed.
Vision Services
The purpose of vision services is to support a student that has a vision impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversly affects a child's educational performance. The primary role of the vision therapist is to help the student gain access tot he educational environment.
Vision Referral Process
Refer to "Visual Impairment Flowchart".
All initial referrals to Vision Support Services begin with a current medical eye report. The referring school may submit an eye report that is less than 1 year old to one of the Vision Specialists. Or, the referring school can submit a completed RELEASE FORM, signed by the parent, to one of the Vision Specialists, allowing them to request the medical eye report.
In the meantime, the referring teacher can utilize the vision services REFERRAL INFORMATION FORM and/or the ABC CHECKLIST FOR VISION OBSERVATION AND HISTORY to document areas of concern related to the child's visual performance to share with the Vision Specialist.
Once the Vision Specialists receive the eye report, they will review it and note the acuity, visual field loss if any, the diagnosis and also the prognosis. In order to determine if the visual impairment is negatively impacting educational performance, the Vision Specialist will screen the student to observe how he/she is using his/her vision across all academic settings. Whether or not the student is determined to be eligible for school-based vision services, the Vision Specialists can schedule a consultation with school staff to explain the eye report and identify accommodations that would minimize the negative impact of reduced visual functioning. If the student is suspected to meet the eligibility criteria, the Vision Specialists will initiate a Functional Vision and Learning Media Assessment.