Related Services: The What, The How, The Why Laura Thompson, MS, CCC-SLP Rebekah Helget, Special Ed. Dir.

Definition of Related Services

Related services are developmental, corrective, and supportive services required to assist a child, who has been identified as a child with an exceptionality, to benefit from special education services. Generally, when needed, related services are provided in addition to special education instruction. Once the child has been identified as a child with an exceptionality the child need not meet the eligibility criteria for another area of exceptionality in order to receive related services. The IEP team determines what additional services are necessary for the child to benefit from the special education services. The IEP team must consider each child's goals and the services or supports needed to assist the child to achieve them.

Evaluation vs. Assessment (IDEA) Evaluation means the "procedures used by qualified personnel to determine a child's initial and continuing eligibility..." Assessment means "the ongoing procedures used by qualified personnel to identify the child's unique strengths and needs and the early intervention services appropriate to meet those needs throughout the period of the child's eligibility...and includes the assessment of the child...and the assessment of the child's family..."

When a student is determined eligible for special education, they are eligible for related services.

Related services must be both educationally relevant and educationally necessary.

Educationally Necessary & Educationally Relevant Ask these questions when considering services: Will the absence of the service interfere with the student’s access to or participation in his/her IEP? Could the proposed service be addressed appropriately by either the general or special education teacher? Has the student been benefiting from his/her IEP without the service? Have they been making progress? Are they meeting their IEP goals/benchmarks? Could the student continue to benefit without the service? Does the proposed service present any undesirable or unnecessary gaps, overlaps, or contradictions with other services? Educational relevance exists when a proposed service can be explicitly linked with a component of the student’s IEP, either access to or progress in.

When does a student receive related services? The student has been identified as a student with an exceptionality and has been receiving special education; however, the student has not made adequate progress toward his/her IEP goals. The team can consider related services. They are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. They are provided by school if, and only if, they are necessary for the student to have access to education and/or participate in his/her educational program.

Educational Relevance Worksheet District recommended tool (not state required form) for determining the relevance and necessity of related services Language Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy Social Work

Measure and rate the impact of the deficit/need

SEMANTICS *Receptive/Expressive 0 – Student is able to identify and use age appropriate/functional vocabulary and concepts. 0 – Student needs related to semantics are met by the classroom curriculum or other existing services. 1 – General education setting has implemented accommodations and/or modifications related to semantics that successfully address student needs. Indirect support to educational professionals may be required to address the student’s needs at this time. 2 – Exploration of further accommodations and/or modifications, beyond what can be reasonably expected in the general education setting, are needed for the student to make progress toward IEP goals. The student may require direct interventions at this time. 3 – Student needs related to semantics are unable to be met by the classroom curriculum, existing services, modifications, and/or accommodations alone. Consideration of direct services/specialized instruction is needed to be able to address student’s needs at this time. 3 – The nature and severity of the student’s impairment requires consideration of direct services/specialized intervention to support the student’s needs at this time.

Continuum of Services

Continuum of Services Once educational relevance and need has been established, the team works through the continuum of services to recommend the most appropriate support or service. Begin with least restrictive and move toward more restrictive

IEP Goals for Related Services Direct Service with Shared Goal Used when both the related service provider and the special education teacher are targeting the same skill Both provider and special education teacher are responsible for progress monitoring of the goal IEP goal is supporting a grade level standard Direct Service with Independent Goal Used when the related service provider is targeting a skill that is different than the primary academic goal(s), but is necessary for that student’s educational success IEP goal is supporting an IEP goal

Shared IEP Goal Examples The team has identified speech-language services are necessary to address language deficits. Both the SLP and special education teacher will be targeting comprehension of information with a goal for WH questions. The team has identified occupational therapy services are necessary. Both the special education teacher and OT will target a goal for completing dismissal routine (placing materials in backpack, putting on coat or jacket, lining up in assigned spot, and walking to bus with peers). OT will work on the bilateral hand control, motor planning, and fine motor skills needed to support independence with the backpack and dressing pieces of this goal.

Shared IEP Goal Examples A first grade student is unable to write his name, and a goal of writing the student’s name is part of the IEP. Occupational therapist will support the special education teacher in meeting this goal. Both the OT and special education teacher are responsible for the progress monitoring and specialized instruction for this goal. For a student requiring direct instruction in both self-regulation/coping and compliance, the social worker and special education teacher will share two goals addressing these needs. Both the social worker and the special education teacher will monitor progress and implement specially designed instruction in the use of coping strategies, following directions, and activity completion.

Shared IEP Goal Special Education Teacher & SLP One IEP goal, both the special education teacher and related service provider are addressing the goal and are listed under Staff/Position Responsible

Independent IEP Goal Examples The special education teacher will be targeting a goal for foundational math skills (addition, subtraction, more than, less than). The team has identified speech- language services are necessary to address the language deficits that make progress toward this math goal very difficult. The SLP will be targeting a goal for knowledge of basic position and quantitative concepts (above, below, beside, more, less, same, different, etc.). This goal is supporting the math goal, as position and qualitative vocabulary are necessary for success toward the math goal. The special education teacher will be targeting a goal for written expression. The team has identified that legibility makes progress toward this writing goal difficult. The OT will be targeting a goal for copying words on lined paper with legible letter formation, line placement, and spacing between words. This goal is supporting the goal for written expression, as letter formation and legibility are necessary for successful writing.

Independent IEP Goal The IEP goal is targeted only by the related service provider. Its purpose is to support an existing academic/educational goal.

Intervention/Exit Service Plan District recommended tool (not state required form) for leading the discussion and developing a plan for eventual related service discontinuation Speech-Language Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy Social Work

Frequently Asked Questions: Related Services When are speech-language services a related service and when are they a secondary exceptionality? SL is considered a secondary exceptionality if the communication impairment is unrelated to the primary exceptionality and the student meets criteria for Speech Language Impairment (i.e. Primary: OHI, Secondary: SL for articulation skills). SL is considered a related service if the communication impairment is related to the primary exceptionality and the SL services are necessary for the student to reach their educational goals. Do we need to “evaluate” for a related service before initiating that service? Not necessarily. But you can and should ASSESS if you need more information, especially when considering direct services. The team would need to determine the service is both educationally relevant and educationally necessary for the service to be provided. Assessments should be conducted in the area of concern to gather information regarding students’ strengths, weaknesses, and need.

What Does Our Data Show…. Related Services 2016-2017 2015-2016 2014-2015 2013-2014 Speech Language 554 (41%) 513 (39%) 506 (31%) 541 (28.1%) Social Work 139 (10.3%) 311 (24%) 345 (21%) 455 (23.6%) Occupational Therapy 116 (8.6%) 214 (16%) 247 (15%) 281 (14.6%) Physical Therapy 33 (2.5%) 66 (5.0%) 52 (3.2%) 75 (3.9%) Nursing

Speech Professional Development for 2017-2018 Informal/Formal Assessments Teacher Education Five Minute Model Continue Case Study for Educational Relevance & Need

To summarize… Challenges Successes Better conversations Continuing professional development Empowering general education and special education teachers Administration Continued MTSS & Related Services Appropriate Referrals Better conversations Richer services Quality over quantity Parent education Service providers not as overworked