IEP Related Services in Virginia
What related services can be included in an IEP in Virginia?
Virginia defines related services as developmental, corrective, and other supportive services required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education (8VAC20-81-10; 34 CFR 300.34). Under Virginia regulations, related services include but are not limited to: speech-language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation including therapeutic recreation, counseling services (including rehabilitation counseling), orientation and mobility services, medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes, school health services and school nurse services, social work services, parent counseling and training, transportation, and assistive technology services. The IEP must specify the frequency, duration, location, and projected start date of each related service (8VAC20-81-110.G.7). Services must be determined by the IEP team based on the student's individualized needs. Virginia requires that a child first be found eligible for special education in order to receive related services through the IEP (8VAC20-81-80.F). If a school division cannot directly provide a related service, it may contract with outside providers, but the service remains at no cost to the family as part of FAPE (8VAC20-81-100). Virginia requires parental consent before revising an IEP, which includes changes to related service type, frequency, duration, or location (8VAC20-81-170.E.1.d).
What Virginia Requires
The IEP must specify each related service with its frequency, duration, location, and projected start date (8VAC20-81-110.G.7; 34 CFR 300.320(a)(7)).
Related services include speech-language pathology, audiology, OT, PT, counseling, psychological services, school health/nursing, social work, parent counseling and training, transportation, and assistive technology (8VAC20-81-10; 34 CFR 300.34).
The list of related services is not exhaustive—any service necessary for the child to benefit from special education may be provided (34 CFR 300.34).
A child must first be found eligible for special education to receive related services through the IEP (8VAC20-81-80.F).
If the division cannot provide a service directly, it may contract with outside providers at no cost to the family (8VAC20-81-100).
Parental consent is required before revising related service specifications in the IEP (8VAC20-81-170.E.1.d).
Key Timelines
Related services must begin on the projected start date documented in the IEP and be in effect as soon as possible after the IEP is developed (8VAC20-81-110.B.2.a; 34 CFR 300.323(a)).
Related services must be reviewed at least annually as part of the IEP review; changes require parental consent (8VAC20-81-110.B.5; 8VAC20-81-170.E.1.d).
For transfer students from within Virginia, the new LEA must provide comparable services in consultation with the parents and either adopt the previous IEP or develop a new one (8VAC20-81-120.A).
For transfer students from out of state, the new LEA must provide comparable services in consultation with the parents and conduct evaluations if necessary to determine Virginia eligibility (8VAC20-81-120.B).