Special Education Compensatory Services

It’s no secret that there’s a staffing shortage in our public schools. This shortage is impacting all students and programs, especially special education programs. 

Due to the staffing shortage, students may not be receiving the services stated in their individualized education program (IEP). As a parent or guardian, what can you do? 

To understand the capacity of your public school’s special education program, I highly suggest finding the answers to some of these questions:

1. Is your child in a self-contained program? If so, is the special education teacher in that classroom all day or do they float between two or more classrooms? For example, if there are two Life Skills classes, is there a teacher in each class? Or is one teacher assigned to both classrooms? 
2. Does your child receive related services such as therapy? How much direct time are they receiving for these services? Ask for records each time the therapist works with your child. Also, ask for the data to show that the Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals are being worked on. 
3. Does your child's schedule of service include general education time? If so, ask for the evidence that shows when they are in that setting.
4. Does your child have a dedicated one-to-one aide? If so, confirm that this support is being provided to them.
5. Does your student have autism? Is the autism supplement in the IEP being followed? One area of this supplement is staff-to-student ratios. Ask for the records to support that these ratios are happening. 
6. If your child does not have autism, they might have staff-to-student ratios written into their IEP. Review your student’s IEP to confirm.

In addition to following up on these questions, stay organized and make sure you have a paper trail. You should be receiving updated progress reports from your student’s school. Ask for all the data and work samples that support the progress that your child is or isn’t making. I would ask for data to be sent home on a weekly basis.

After you’ve gathered this information, what can you do? It’s not as if we can magically fill all the open positions. But our kids still require  Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). If the services in the IEP are not being met, you need to request an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) meeting. During the meeting, use all the documentation from the questions above to ask for compensatory services. 

Compensatory services are services needed to make up for learning that was lost when the IEP was not followed. These services are individualized for the student. Compensatory education is an ARD committee decision. When considering compensatory education, think about the following:

1. When will these services be provided? Is it convenient for everyone? Services can take place outside the regular school day. This can include summers, weekends or before/after school.
2. Who will provide these services? 
3. If the district can't provide the services, there are other ways. Consider private therapies, tutoring services or even online learning.

It is important that you have proof to support that your child has lost skills. You need documentation that the IEP is not being followed. Remember that you are an equal member of the ARD committee. Make sure you have researched all your avenues. In some cases, an advocate or attorney might be needed to make sure your child is receiving FAPE. 

Here is information on your child’s right to a free and appropriate education.