related_services

Under IDEA, students eligible for special education are also entitled to appropriate "related services."

"Related services" means developmental, corrective, and other support services needed by a student, in order to benefit from special
education services. Parents must understand that schools are not required to provide students with related services necessary to maximize
the student's potential. Rather, schools are only required to provide related services that enable the student to derive benefit from the special
education program. (See Rowley) Schools must provide these services to the child, at no expense to the parent.

Districts may provide these services directly, or may contract the services through outside agencies. When services are provided by outside
agencies/providers, the school district remains responsible for ensuring that the student receives the services.

According to IDEA, "related services" include, but are not limited to, the following supports:

Transportation: Travel to and from school, in and around school buildings, as well as specialized equipment required to provide
transportation for a child with a disability.

Speech-language pathology: Identification of students with speech and/or language impairments, as well as provision of speech
and/or language services for the habilitation or prevention of communicative impairments.

Audiology services: Identification of students with hearing loss; provision of habilitative services (i.e.language habilitation, auditory
training, speech reading, hearing evaluation and speech conservation); and fitting an appropriate hearing aid.

Interpreting services: Provision is required if necessary for student to benefit from special education.

Psychological services: Administering psychological tests, synthesizing information about student behavior and conditions relating to
learning, collaborating with staff members in developing and implementing school programs to meet the special needs of children,
managing psychological and counseling services, and participating in developing positive behavioral intervention strategies.

Physical therapy: Identification of students with gross motor impairments, as well as provision of physical therapy services by a
licensed physical therapist for the habilitation of gross motor impairments.

Occupational therapy: Identification of students with fine motor impairments, as well as provision of occupational therapy services
provided by a licensed occupational therapist; includes restoring and/or improving fine motor functions, restoring and/or improving the
ability to perform tasks for independent functioning, and preventing initial or further impairment or loss of functions.

Recreation: Assessment of leisure function and education, therapeutic recreation services, and recreation programs in schools and
community agencies.

Social work services: Provision of individual and/or group counseling with the child and/or family; collaborating with parents and
others on circumstances that negatively affect the child’s performance in school; and utilizing school and community resources to enable
the child to learn as effectively as possible.

School nurse services: Services provided by a school nurse or other qualified health personnel.

Counseling services: Services provided by psychologists, counselors, social workers, or other qualified personnel

Related services do not include any medical device that is surgically implanted, or the replacement of such device.