IEP Related Services in Arkansas
What related services can be included in an IEP in Arkansas?
Related services in Arkansas are defined consistently with federal IDEA as supportive services required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, including speech-language pathology, audiology, interpreting, psychological services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, orientation and mobility, school health services, social work, parent counseling, and transportation (34 CFR 300.34; Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001). Arkansas DESE provides technical assistance for school-based occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology, and distinguishes educational need from medical need when determining service scope. The appropriateness and extent of OT, PT, and speech/language therapy in an IEP is determined by the child's educational needs, which may differ from medical needs. Arkansas participates in the Arkansas Medicaid in the Schools (MITS) program, which allows LEAs and Education Service Cooperatives (ESCs) to bill Medicaid for IEP-specified medical services and related administrative costs provided to Medicaid-enrolled students. School-based mental health services may also be provided and billed through the MITS program when a licensed mental health professional employed by the LEA delivers services to eligible students.
What Arkansas Requires
The IEP must specify all required related services, including their projected start date, frequency, location, and duration (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §8.08.1.4; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4), (a)(7)).
Related services must be educationally necessary to assist the child to benefit from special education; the standard is educational need, not medical need (Arkansas DESE Educational and Clinical Models guidance).
Transportation is a related service; if a child with a disability requires special transportation to benefit from special education, it must be provided and specified in the IEP (34 CFR 300.34(c)(16)).
The IEP team must consider assistive technology as a related service when the student's disability requires it (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §8.07.1.2.E).
LEAs may bill Medicaid for IEP-specified medical services and school-based mental health services through the MITS program for Medicaid-enrolled students (Arkansas DESE MITS program guidance).
Before therapy services may be billed for a student, an IEP referencing the related therapy service must be in place (Arkansas DESE Direct Billing guidance).
Key Timelines
Related services must begin no later than 30 calendar days following the IEP meeting (Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.10-001, §8.03.2.1).
Related services must be reviewed at each annual IEP review (34 CFR 300.324(b)).