Related services under IDEA: the full list

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Related services are the extra supports your child needs to benefit from special education. IDEA lists speech-language and audiology services, interpreting, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, counseling, orientation and mobility, school health and nurse services, social work, parent counseling and training, transportation, and some medical services for evaluation. The list is not complete, so other services can count too.

Special education is the teaching your child gets. Related services are the supports that help your child benefit from that teaching. A child who cannot get to school, cannot be understood, or cannot hold a pencil may need a related service before the teaching can work.

The federal rule lists the main related services and says the list "includes" them, so it is a set of examples, not a closed list.^[1] Your child gets a related service when the IEP team decides your child needs it. Having a diagnosis does not, by itself, mean a service. For how services become minutes in the IEP, see the guide on IEP services and minutes.

Service	What it is in plain words	Example at school
Speech-language pathology	Help with speech sounds, language, voice, stuttering or social talk	30 minutes a week of speech therapy
Audiology	Help with hearing loss, including checking hearing aids	Checking that a hearing aid works each morning
Interpreting services	Sign language or other interpreting for children who are deaf or hard of hearing	An interpreter in class
Psychological services	Testing, behavior help and planning by a school psychologist	Help writing a behavior plan
Physical therapy	Help with walking, balance, strength and moving safely	Practice using stairs
Occupational therapy	Help with hand skills, self-care and sensory needs	Practice with buttons or handwriting
Recreation	Leisure skills, including therapeutic recreation	Learning to join a game at recess
Early identification and assessment	Finding a disability early	Screening a young child
Counseling, including rehabilitation counseling	Help with feelings, coping and, for teens, work planning	30 minutes a week with the school counselor
Orientation and mobility	Teaching a child who is blind or has low vision to move around safely	Learning to travel the school with a cane
Medical services for diagnosis or evaluation	A doctor's input to help find out if a child has a disability	A doctor's evaluation the school arranges
School health and school nurse services	Health care at school that a nurse or trained staff can give	Help with a feeding tube or medicine
Social work services in schools	Help linking school, home and community	Working with the family on attendance
Parent counseling and training	Helping parents understand their child's needs and learn skills	Training on using a communication device at home
Transportation	Getting to and from school and between buildings	A bus with a lift, or an aide on the bus

Source for the list: 34 CFR 300.34.^[1] Other services, such as assistive technology help, are covered under separate rules, and the team can add services not on the list if your child needs them.

The rule leaves out a few things. A school does not have to provide a medical device that is surgically implanted, like a cochlear implant, or adjust or replace it. The school must still help check that the outside parts work.^[1] Medical care that only a doctor can give is also not a related service, except for diagnosis or evaluation.

School health services can still cover a lot. The Supreme Court has held that health care a school nurse or trained staff can give, such as clean intermittent catheterization, is a related service the school must provide when a child needs it to attend school.^[3] A later case applied the same rule to more constant nursing care during the school day.^[4]

Here is a made-up example of the services part of an IEP. Hold it next to your child's IEP to compare.

Service	How often	How long	Where	Starts	Ends
Speech-language therapy	2 times a week	30 minutes	Speech room	09/15	09/14 next year
Occupational therapy	1 time a month	30 minutes	General education class	09/15	09/14 next year
Transportation	Daily	To and from school	Bus with an aide	09/15	09/14 next year

What the notes say:

How often and how long are both written. "As needed" does not tell you how much your child will get.
Where tells you if your child leaves class. "Speech room" means pull-out. "General education class" means the therapist comes to the class.
Start and end dates match the IEP year.
One service each line. If your child needs OT for handwriting and for self-care, it may still be one line, but the goals should show both.

The IEP must state how often, where and how long each service will be given.^[2] If your child's IEP leaves any of these out, ask about it.

Questions to ask the team

You can say these word for word.

"What related services did the team consider for my child?"
"Why does my child need this service? Which goal does it help with?"
"How many minutes, how often, and where will the service happen?"
"Will my child be pulled out of class? Which class will they miss?"
"Who will provide the service, and what are their qualifications?"
"What happens if a session is missed because the provider is out?"
"How will you measure whether the service is working?"
"Can you show me where this service is written in the IEP?"
"My child needs help getting to school. Can we talk about transportation as a related service?"

When you think your child needs a service

If you think your child needs a service the IEP does not include, you can ask the team to talk about it. Often the first step is an evaluation in that area, such as an OT or speech evaluation, which needs your written consent. Put your request in writing and say what you see at home. The CPIR has a plain guide on specifying related services in the IEP.^[5]

What to do next

Find the services page of your child's IEP. Check that each service has how often, how long and where.
Ask the case manager how service sessions are tracked. Many schools keep a service log of each session.
If a service is missed often, read when the IEP is not being implemented.
To see how services differ from teaching, read specially designed instruction examples.
For free help, contact your state's Parent Training and Information Center. You can find yours through the Center for Parent Information and Resources.^[6]

Frequently asked questions

Is the list of related services in IDEA complete?

No. The rule says related services include the listed items, so it gives examples. The IEP team can add another service if your child needs it to benefit from special education.

Is transportation a related service?

Yes. Transportation is on the list. It can include travel to and from school, travel between schools, and special equipment like a lift bus, when your child needs it.

Can my child get a related service without special education?

Under IDEA, related services support special education, so a child usually needs special education to get them. Some states treat speech as special education on its own. A 504 plan can also include some services.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.34: Related services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Irving Independent School District v. Tatro, 468 U.S. 883 (1984), Library of Congress (U.S. Reports)
Cedar Rapids Community School District v. Garret F., 526 U.S. 66 (1999), Library of Congress (U.S. Reports)
Specifying Related Services in the IEP, CPIR
Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.

Related services under IDEA: the full list

The related services named in IDEA

What is not a related service

What a related service looks like in an IEP