IEP Related Services in Vermont
What related services can be included in an IEP in Vermont?
Vermont requires that each IEP specify all related services the student requires to benefit from special education, consistent with federal law (34 CFR 300.34) as implemented in Rule 2363.7. Related services include speech-language pathology, audiology, psychological services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, social work, school health and nursing services, parent counseling and training, transportation, recreation, assistive technology services, orientation and mobility, and interpreting services. Under Rule 2363.7, the IEP must specify the projected start date, frequency, location, and duration of each related service. Vermont's Act 173 (2018) reformed special education funding to a census-based model administered through supervisory unions, which are the responsible LEAs for special education in Vermont (16 V.S.A. § 2942). The obligation to provide services at no cost to the family remains absolute under 16 V.S.A. § 2942 and Rule 2360.2 regardless of funding mechanisms. Supervisory unions may contract for related services when they cannot provide them directly, but all services must meet quality and licensure requirements. Assistive technology devices and services must be provided when required by the IEP, including at home when the IEP team determines it is necessary for FAPE (34 CFR 300.105; Rule 2363.7).
What Vermont Requires
The IEP must specify each related service with its projected start date, frequency, location, and duration (Rule 2363.7; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(7)).
Related services include speech-language, audiology, OT, PT, counseling, psychological services, social work, nursing, transportation, recreation, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, and interpreting services (34 CFR 300.34; Rule 2363.7).
Assistive technology devices and services must be provided if required by the IEP, including at home when the team determines it is necessary for FAPE (34 CFR 300.105; Rule 2363.7).
All services must be provided at no cost to the family as part of FAPE, regardless of funding mechanisms under Vermont's Act 173 census-based funding model (16 V.S.A. § 2942; Rule 2360.2).
Supervisory unions — the LEAs responsible for special education in Vermont — may contract for services they cannot directly provide, subject to quality and licensure requirements (16 V.S.A. § 2942; Rule 2363.2).
Parent counseling and training is available as a related service when needed to help a parent assist in implementing their child's IEP (34 CFR 300.34(c)(8); Rule 2363.7).
Key Timelines
Related services must begin on the projected start date documented in the IEP and be in effect at the beginning of each school year (34 CFR 300.323(a); Rule 2363.1).
Related services must be reviewed at least annually as part of the IEP review (Rule 2363.6; 34 CFR 300.324(b)).
For transfer students within Vermont, comparable services must be provided while a new IEP is being developed; for out-of-state transfers, comparable services must also be provided pending new evaluation if needed (Rule 2363.1; 34 CFR 300.323(e)-(f)).
Sources
Related IEP Guides
IEP Services Explained: What Your Child Should Be Getting
Understand IEP related services — speech, OT, PT, counseling, and more. Learn direct vs. consultative models and what to do if services aren't delivered.
The IEP Says 30 Minutes of Speech. My Child Gets 15.
What to do when your child's IEP services aren't delivered as written — how to discover the gap, document it, and hold the school accountable.
Compensatory Services: What Your Child Is Owed When the School Falls Short
What compensatory services are, when your child is entitled to them, how to request them, and what to do when IEP services are missed.