What are related services?

• A. Support services that help students benefit from special education.
• B. Medical services.
• C. Transportation only.
• D. Counseling for behavior only.

Answer: (A)

Related services are the supports that make it possible for a student with a disability to benefit from the special education program. These are the additional services, beyond the direct instruction itself, that help a student participate in and access the education outlined in the IEP. They cover a broad range of supports, such as transportation, speech-language therapy, occupational and physical therapy, counseling, psychological services, social work, and school health services, tailored to each student’s needs. The key idea is enabling access and progress in learning, not just providing the core instruction.

Medical services, while important for health, aren’t defined as the broad category of related services. Transportation or counseling for behavior alone are narrower subsets and don’t capture the full range of supports that can help a student benefit from special education.