Related Services in Special Education
Understand what it means when related services are recommended for your child in special education.
Help to benefit from special education
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines “related services" as any supportive service provided to a child with a disability that helps the child access and/or receive a benefit from special education. Based on your child's evaluation, you and your ARD/IEP team will determine if she needs related services.
Related services can only be offered when students are eligible for special education and need the related service to benefit from their IEP. In other words, they are intended to help your child fully access the other special education services she needs. Related services can never be offered alone, only in combination with one or more instructional services, such as language therapy, for instance.
The most common related services
● Audiology services
● School health services (including assistance with health-related needs during the school day, such as catheterization)
● Counseling services
● Medical services (only to diagnose or evaluate a student’s disability)
● Social work services in school
● Occupational therapy
● Transportation
● Orientation and mobility services
● Parent counseling and training
● Physical therapy
● Psychological services
● Recreation
● Rehabilitation counseling services
● Interpreting Services
Although IDEA lists speech-language pathology as a related service, in Texas it is considered an instructional service, which means it can be a stand-alone service.