OVERVIEW

Related services help children with disabilities benefit from their special education by providing extra help and support in needed areas, such as speaking or moving. Related services can include, but are not limited to, any of the following: 

• Speech-language pathology and audiology services

• Interpreting services

• Psychological services

• Physical and occupational therapy

• Recreation, including therapeutic recreation

• Counseling services

• Orientation and mobility services

• School health services and school nurse services

• Social work services in schools

• Parent counseling and training

• Transportation [Section 300.34]

OCCUPATIONAL & PHYSICAL THERAPISTS

District Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Physical Therapists (PTs) provide related services, either direct or consultative, for students who are eligible for special education services through an IEP or accommodations through a 504 Plan.

*Generally, OTs and PTs  do not provide direct service or consultation to an individual student if they are not eligible to receive a special education service. They may, however, provide training and inservices to grade level teams or school staff upon request.

Students must first be assessed by an OT or PT to determine if they are eligible for OT/PT services. Students who are eligible for OT/PT may receive direct services individually or in small or large groups, depending on student need. The OT/PT  will also consult with IEP teams in the development of appropriate IEP goals and supplementary aides and services.

OTs/PTs  consult with the classroom teacher for students who have an IEP or 504 Plan. For example, consultation activities for an OT  may be focused on fine and gross motor skills, visual perception and visual motor, postural control and positional strategies, sensory-motor integration, and accommodations that can be implemented in the classroom setting.