"Related services are a support to the commitment that all students with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education with special education services designed to meet their specific needs. Some students may need related services to meet their individually designed special education goals." - Texas Education Agency
Related Services can include, but are not limited to:
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Instruction (formerly Audiology)
Counseling Services
Early identification and assessment of disabilities
Occupational therapy
Orientation and mobility services
Parent counseling and training
Physical therapy
Psychological services
Recreation
Rehabilitation counseling services
Speech-language pathology
Transportation
It is the responsibility of the child's ARD Committee to determine the special education and related services that are necessary for a child to receive FAPE based on evaluation data. 71 Fed. Reg. 46,573 (2006). An evaluation is required to begin related services or exit a student from those services. The evaluation for each related service will include the child's present level of functional performance with regard to the evaluated area; the nature of the disability; the level of severity of the disability; the recommended modifications, goals, and objectives based on evaluation and educational need; and the recommended specific frequency and duration of services.
Whether related services are required for a student with a disability and the frequency and duration of those services will depend on the unique circumstances of the child. The standard is not whether the student will benefit from the services. Should the IEP team determine related services are not necessary to enable the child to benefit from special education, the child should be found not eligible for those services.
The role of related service providers is to provide services necessary to assist the child to benefit from special education. The primary focus of school-based related services will be to promote the attainment of educational goals and objectives necessary for the child to receive FAPE. Educational therapy focuses on the student’s IEP goals (rather than treating or remediating the student’s underlying medical condition) and is designed to help the student function in the school setting so that he/she can benefit from the educational program.
Consultation with the teachers and aides to demonstrate how the teachers and aides can work with the student to reach the goals for the classroom is an important part of school-based related services.
The IEP should specify the frequency and duration of related services in the smallest time period possible (e.g., number of minutes weekly if the student will receive weekly services) and should specify whether the services will be direct or consult (e.g., 20 minutes per week direct; 10 minutes per month consult), and if individual sessions are required, the IEP should specify the number of minutes of individual sessions.
The related service personnel will provide services as stipulated in a student’s IEP and will:
perform assessments in areas in which they have appropriate training;
participate in ARD Committee meetings; • contribute to the development of the IEP;
assist teachers and parents in improving student performance within the school setting;
provide direct and indirect related services as determined by the ARD Committee;
complete progress reports in accordance with the student's IEP (these progress reports are also used to document a child's services for Medicaid reimbursements if applicable); and review outside evaluations and medical information in the related service provider’s area of expertise to make recommendations to the ARD Committee regarding the need for, and recommended frequency and duration of, related services.
Goals and Objectives in each recommended area of related services shall have measurable goals and objectives within the Individualized Education Program (IEP) as approved by the ARD Committee and will include frequency, duration, and location of those services in the smallest increment possible.
All service providers are responsible for keeping a service log documenting students served, date, time, location, a summary of activities, and data on trials during the session. Service logs are to be submitted electronically to the Coordinator of Speech-Language Pathologists and Related Services no later than one week after the end of each grading period. Service logs will be reviewed periodically by the Coordinator of Speech-Language Pathologists and Related Services to verify that the services provided are consistent with ARD committee decisions and ILTEXAS caseload assignments.
Speech-language therapists and Related Service Staff maintain current therapy schedules. Each therapy session delivered is documented by date and time. Rescheduled therapy sessions must be documented. The Coordinator of Speech-Language Pathologists and Related Services oversees the speech therapy program and related service staff and will periodically monitor the provision of services to ensure the services have been delivered.
NOTE: The term does not include a medical device that is surgically implanted, the optimization of the device’s functioning, or the replacement of such device.