2155 Croton Rd Melbourne 32935
(321) 242-6430 ext. 33231
Training
Related Services
Beyond the Classroom: Understanding Related Services in Special Education
When we talk about special education, the first image that often comes to mind is a specialized classroom or an individualized education program (IEP) outlining academic goals. While these are certainly central, there's a whole other crucial component that often goes unsung but is vital to a student's success: related services.
Think of related services as the supportive scaffolding that allows a student with a disability to benefit from their special education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines them as "transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education." In simpler terms, if a student needs a specific service to access their learning environment or make progress on their IEP goals, it's likely a related service.
So, what exactly falls under this umbrella? The list is comprehensive and can be tailored to a student's unique needs. Here are some of the most common and impactful related services:
- Speech-Language Pathology Services: This is often one of the most recognized related services. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) help students with communication disorders, which can range from articulation and fluency issues to understanding and using language effectively. For many students, the ability to communicate is foundational to learning and social interaction.
- Occupational Therapy (OT): OTs focus on helping students develop or regain the skills needed for daily living and learning. This might include fine motor skills (like holding a pencil or using scissors), sensory processing issues, or self-care activities. An OT might work on improving a student's handwriting or helping them regulate their sensory input in a busy classroom.
- Physical Therapy (PT): PTs address gross motor skills, mobility, balance, and strength. For students with physical disabilities, PT can be essential for navigating the school environment, participating in physical education, or even maintaining proper posture while learning.
- Psychological Services: School psychologists play a critical role in evaluating students for disabilities, providing counseling, and offering behavioral interventions. They can help students develop coping mechanisms, social skills, and emotional regulation strategies that are crucial for academic and personal growth.
- Counseling Services: Provided by qualified social workers, psychologists, or counselors, these services offer support for social, emotional, and behavioral challenges that may impact a student's ability to learn. This can be individual or group counseling focused on specific issues.
- School Health Services and School Nurse Services: These ensure that a student's health needs are met during the school day. This might involve administering medication, managing chronic health conditions, or providing emergency care.
- Social Work Services in Schools: School social workers act as a bridge between home, school, and community. They can help families access resources, address attendance issues, and navigate social-emotional challenges that impact a student's education.
- Transportation: For many students with disabilities, specialized transportation is a critical related service. This ensures they can safely and reliably get to and from school, especially if they require accessible vehicles or assistance.
- Audiology Services: These services are for students with hearing impairments, including evaluations, fitting and maintenance of hearing aids, and instruction in listening skills.
- Recreation: Believe it or not, even recreation can be a related service! It focuses on assessing and providing therapeutic recreation services to help students develop leisure and recreation skills, often promoting social interaction and physical well-being.
- Orientation and Mobility Services: Specifically for students with visual impairments, these services help them safely and independently navigate their environment.
Why are Related Services So Important?
Without these vital supports, a student with a disability might struggle to fully access their education, regardless of how well-designed their academic program is. Imagine a student with fine motor difficulties trying to complete written assignments without occupational therapy, or a student with a speech impediment trying to participate in class discussions without speech therapy. Related services bridge these gaps, leveling the playing field and allowing students to reach their full potential.
If you are a parent of a child with a disability, understanding related services is key. During the IEP process, it's crucial to discuss not just academic goals, but also what supportive services your child might need to achieve those goals and thrive in the school environment. These services are not "extras" – they are integral to providing a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for every eligible student.
Supplemental Aids and Services
IDEA’s Exact Words from the Center for Information and Resources
Again, let’s start with IDEA’s full requirement for identifying the supplementary aids and services a child will need and specifying them in his or her IEP. This appears at §300.320(a)(4) and stipulates that each child’s IEP must contain:
(4) A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided to enable the child—
(i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals;
(ii) To be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and
(iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section… [§300.320(a)(4)]
We’ve bolded the part of IDEA’s regulation that specifically mentions supplementary aids and services, because it’s important to see the context in which this term is used. It is that context, and IDEA’s own definition of supplementary aids and services, that will guide how a child’s IEP team considers what services the child needs and the detail with which the team specifies them in the IEP.
The Short Story on Supplementary Aids and Services
Supplementary aids and services are often critical elements in supporting the education of children with disabilities in regular classes and their participation in a range of another school activities. IDEA’s definition of this term (at §300.42) reads:
Supplementary aids and services means aids, services, and other supports that are provided in regular education classes, other education-related settings, and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings, to enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate …
Speaking practically, supplementary aids and services can be accommodations and modifications to the curriculum under study or the manner in which that content is presented or a child’s progress is measured. But that’s not all they are or can be. Supplementary aids and services can also include:
- direct services and supports to the child, and
- support and training for staff who work with that child.
That’s why determining what supplementary aids and services are appropriate for a particular child must be done on an individual basis.