IEP Related Services in Massachusetts
What related services can be included in an IEP in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, related services are developmental, corrective, and supportive services required to help a student with a disability benefit from special education. Massachusetts adopts the full federal definition of related services at 34 CFR § 300.34, incorporating it by reference in 603 CMR 28.02(18). Examples include speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, counseling, social work services, school health services, transportation, and assistive technology services. Related services must be documented in the IEP and provided at no cost as part of FAPE (MGL c. 71B; 603 CMR 28.05(4)). All related service providers must hold Massachusetts educator licensure under 603 CMR 7.00 appropriate to their role. An IEP may consist entirely of related services when no specially designed instruction is required but the student needs supports to access the general curriculum (603 CMR 28.05(4)(a)). Parents may request an evaluation for any related service at any time; the school must respond and evaluate if warranted.
What Massachusetts Requires
Related services must be documented in the IEP and provided at no cost as part of FAPE; Massachusetts adopts the full federal definition of related services (34 CFR § 300.34) by reference in 603 CMR 28.02(18).
An IEP may consist entirely of related services — without a separate specially designed instruction component — when those services are necessary to allow the student to access the general curriculum (603 CMR 28.05(4)(a)).
All related service providers must hold Massachusetts educator licensure under 603 CMR 7.00 appropriate to their role (e.g., licensed speech-language pathologist, licensed OT/PT, licensed school psychologist); the school district is responsible for ensuring services are delivered by qualified licensed professionals (603 CMR 28.02(3)).
The IEP must specify related services with measurable goals, frequency, duration, location, and the type of provider for each service; use of generic terms such as 'Sped Staff' violates specificity requirements per DESE Program Quality Assurance findings.
If a school district cannot directly provide a required related service, it remains responsible for contracting with a qualified provider or placing the student where the service is available; the obligation to provide FAPE does not transfer to the provider (603 CMR 28.06(3)).
Key Timelines
Related service evaluations follow the standard MA evaluation timeline: completed within 30 school working days of written parental consent; Team meeting within 45 school working days of consent (603 CMR 28.05(1)).
Parents may request an evaluation for a specific related service at any time by submitting a written request; the school must respond and, if the request is reasonable, initiate the evaluation within the standard timeline (603 CMR 28.04(3)).
Once identified as necessary in the IEP, related services must begin upon parent acceptance of the IEP without further delay; no separate implementation deadline exists beyond the parent's 30-calendar-day response window (603 CMR 28.05(7)).
Progress on related service goals must be reported at least as frequently as report cards for non-special education students (603 CMR 28.07).