In this Related Services session, Karen Mayer Cunningham breaks down what IDEA really says about services that support a student’s access to FAPE—and how schools should write and deliver them.

What we cover:

• Physical Therapy in schools vs medical/therapeutic models (what PT is and isn’t in an IEP; realistic frequency and access needs)
• Psychological Services vs Counseling as a Related Service (definitions, when each is appropriate, why psych services don’t have to tie to a goal—but counseling does)
• Adaptive PE vs Recreation (where they fit and how they attach to goals)
• School Health Services vs School Nurse Services (IHPs, personal care supplements, when a private nurse is appropriate, what nurses can/can’t do in classrooms)
• Social Work Services (wraparound, family support, resource mobilization, re-entry after hospitalization)
• How to request the right evaluations so related services can legally be added
• The constant lens: Meaningful Benefit vs. Harmful Effect

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