Compensatory services
Last updated
Compensatory services are extra services provided to make up for special education or related services a student should have received but did not.
Topic: Services, placement and staff
In plain terms
They are often ordered after a state complaint or due process decision, or agreed to by a school when it finds IEP services were missed, such as during a staffing gap. The amount is meant to address the lost progress, which is not always a minute-for-minute match. Compensatory services are separate from makeup sessions scheduled for an occasional absence.
How it shows up in an IEP
Service logs are key evidence for both sides. When minutes are missed, documenting the reason and the makeup plan protects the student and the school, and progress data shows whether the gap affected learning.
Example
An SLP position was vacant for 10 weeks, and a student missed 20 sessions. The district agrees to 15 hours of compensatory speech therapy over the summer.
The rule
Rules vary by state. Check your state's regulations and your district's procedures.
Related terms
- Service minutesService minutes are the amount of time, written in the IEP, that a student will receive each special education or related service.
- State complaintA state complaint is a signed, written complaint to the state education agency alleging that a school or district violated a requirement of IDEA.
- Due process complaintA due process complaint is a formal request for a hearing before an impartial officer to resolve a special education dispute between a family and a school.
- FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education)FAPE is the right of every eligible child with a disability to special education and related services, at no cost, designed around the child's needs.
On IEP Atlas
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