For some students, having a great classroom teacher is only part of what they need to fully participate in school. Special education-related services provide additional support when a disability affects a student’s communication, movement, daily school activities, emotional well-being or ability to access instruction. For district leaders, educators and families, understanding these related services makes it easier to see how each specialist contributes to a student’s education. Occupational therapists (OTs), speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and school psychologists each address different barriers to learning, working alongside the Individual Education Plan (IEP) team to help children with disabilities access the support they need to participate, make progress and benefit from special education.
What Are Related Services in Special Education?
Related services are developmental, corrective and other supportive services that a student may need to benefit from special education. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), these supports are provided when they’re necessary for a child with a disability to access their education and make progress with instruction designed for them. IDEA defines related services broadly, so the specific support an individual student receives depends on their educational needs. Special education and related services may include:
- Speech-language pathology
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Psychological services
- Counseling services
- School health services
- Social work services
- Transportation
- Orientation and mobility services
- Interpreting services
- Audiology services
The goal isn’t to give every student every available service. Instead, the IEP team determines which supports are necessary for that student to access instruction, participate in nonacademic activities and work toward their IEP goals. When included in an IEP, these services must be delivered by appropriate qualified personnel. Related services don’t always require the provider to be physically in the school building. Depending on the service and individual student’s needs, some support can be delivered virtually through live video. This can give districts another way to connect students with qualified personnel when specialists aren’t available locally while staying in compliance with the IEP. There are also important boundaries. Under IDEA, medical services are generally considered related services only when provided for diagnostic or evaluation purposes, while qualifying school nurse services may be provided when necessary for a student to receive a free and appropriate public education. The common thread is educational need: related services exist to remove barriers that could otherwise prevent eligible students from fully participating in and benefiting from school.
Three Related Services Specialists You May See on an IEP Team
Different barriers call for different expertise. OTs, SLPs and school psychologists each help students overcome challenges that can affect their ability to learn, communicate, participate and make progress in the school setting. When these services are necessary, their work becomes an important part of helping students access their education.
What Does an Occupational Therapist Do in Schools?
School-based occupational therapy helps students develop the functional skills they need to participate more independently in school. Unlike OT delivered in a clinical setting, services in schools are tied directly to educational access and a student’s IEP goals. An OT may help a student strengthen:
- Fine motor skills
- Handwriting
- Use of classroom materials
- Adaptive daily living skills
- Access to specialized equipment
OTs are important because challenges in these areas can make everyday learning tasks harder, from writing an assignment to navigating classroom routines. They can also collaborate with teachers and other related services personnel to adapt tasks or environments so students can participate more successfully. Some school-based OT services can also be delivered virtually, with the therapist working live with the student and collaborating with on-site staff to support skills tied to the student’s educational needs. While physical and occupational therapy sometimes overlap, physical therapy generally focuses more on gross motor function and physical mobility, like helping a child walk down the hall safely, or sit at a desk.
What Does a Speech-Language Pathologist Do?
Speech-language pathology services address communication difficulties that can affect how a student learns and interacts with others. An SLP may work with students on:
- Speech production
- Receptive language
- Expressive language
- Social communication
These skills matter throughout the school day. A student may understand a subject but struggle to explain an answer, follow verbal directions, participate in a discussion or communicate with peers. SLPs help address those barriers so students can participate more fully in instruction and access the general education curriculum. Speech-language services can translate well to live virtual sessions, where SLPs can work directly with students on communication skills to provide real-time instruction and feedback. For many children, this support is a significant part of their special education experience. In the 2013–14 school year, more than 1.3 million children received speech-language pathology services in schools. This remained the same in the 2016-17 school year. In more recent 2025 data, the Department of Education revealed that 42% of children in special education receive speech-language services.
What Does a School Psychologist Do?
School psychologists provide services that help schools understand and respond to students’ educational, behavioral, social and emotional needs. Their role can include conducting evaluations, interpreting assessment results, consulting with educators and families and providing appropriate counseling services. They’re especially important during early identification and assessment. Their evaluations can help the IEP team better understand how a student’s conditions affect learning and what support may be necessary. Their work doesn’t stop at identifying a need. School psychologists can collaborate with teachers, parents and other specialists to turn evaluation findings into practical strategies and support. School psychologists can also provide certain services virtually, including evaluations, consultation and other support when appropriate, helping districts expand access to specialists beyond their local hiring area. This makes them an important bridge between understanding a student’s needs and helping the school respond effectively.
How Does a Student Receive Related Services?
A student doesn’t receive a related service simply because it could be helpful. The process is individualized, with evaluation data and the student’s educational needs guiding decisions about which special education services are necessary and how they’ll be delivered.
Start With an Individual Evaluation
Before determining eligibility and services, the student must receive an appropriate evaluation that addresses all areas related to the suspected child’s disability. Parents can also request a formal evaluation if they believe their child may need special education support. Such diagnostic evaluations can also be completed virtually to get students the support they need without the limitations of limited local hiring pools or geographic barriers. Thorough early identification and assessment help schools understand what affects the student’s learning and participation. For eligible children, those findings provide the foundation for deciding what instruction, supplementary aids and related services may be needed.
The IEP Team Determines What’s Needed
The IEP team reviews evaluation information and determines which services the student needs to access and benefit from their education. The team brings together parents, teachers, specialists and other appropriate school personnel so decisions reflect the needs of the whole child. The student’s individualized education program then documents the services they’ll receive, including the frequency of each service. The plan should connect those supports to the student’s needs and help them meet their educational goals.
Services Must Connect to Educational Need
Related services aren’t automatically provided because a student has a particular diagnosis. The IEP team determines whether a service is necessary for that specific student to receive an appropriate education. For example, two students with the same disability may require very different combinations of support. One might need speech-language services to participate in classroom discussions, while another may need occupational therapy to complete classroom tasks independently. That individualized approach keeps education and related services centered on what each student actually needs to participate and progress at school.
Related Services Beyond Therapy and Psychology
OTs, SLPs and school psychologists play important roles, but they’re only part of the support IDEA recognizes. Depending on a student’s disability and educational needs, the IEP team may determine that other services are necessary to help them safely attend school, participate throughout the school day and access their education. These special education services may include:
- Special transportation: Some students may need special or adapted buses, specialized equipment, or other transportation accommodations to safely access school buildings and programs.
- School health and nurse services: School health and nurse support can help students, especially those who are medically fragile, safely participate in the school day when health needs might otherwise interfere with attendance or learning.
- Parent counseling and training: Counseling for parents can help families better understand their child’s needs and develop skills that support implementation of the student’s educational program.
- Orientation and mobility services: These services can help students with visual impairments develop the skills needed to navigate their school environment safely and independently.
Other IDEA-related supports can include rehabilitation counseling, therapeutic recreation, audiology counseling services and interpreting services when they’re necessary for an individual student’s education. Ultimately, the IEP team determines which supports belong in the student’s plan rather than applying the same set of services to every child.
Bring Critical Related Services Within Reach With Proximity Learning
Knowing which services a student needs is only part of the equation. Districts also need qualified professionals available to provide them. When specialized positions are difficult to fill, staffing gaps make it harder to deliver consistent special education and related services and keep students progressing toward their IEP goals. Thankfully, those professionals don’t always have to be down the hall. Virtual related services can expand the available talent pool by connecting students with specialists outside the district through live, synchronous sessions. Proximity Learning helps districts expand access to qualified related service professionals, including occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and school psychologists. Through live virtual services, these specialists can work directly with students and collaborate with school teams to help districts provide the individualized support students need. Every service written into an IEP represents a real student who depends on that support. Talk to us today to see how Proximity Learning can help your district connect students with qualified related services providers and keep essential services within reach.
