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- What are compensatory services?
Compensatory services make up for special education services a school didn't provide. What they cover, who qualifies, and how long the hours last.
- How families get compensatory services
How NYC families ask for compensatory services: talking to the school, filing a due process complaint, impartial hearings and settlements, explained simply.
- You have hours awarded. Now use them.
You've an impartial hearing order, settlement or authorization for tutoring hours. Here is how to find a provider and actually use the hours.
- The parent checklist
A one-page checklist for NYC parents: what to gather, who to contact, and what to do at each step of getting and using compensatory services.
- Understanding the IEP
How to read an NYC IEP: where services, frequency and group size are listed, and why those details decide whether services were missed.
- Requesting your child's records
Parents have a right to see their child's education records. How to ask in writing, what to ask for, and why service logs matter for a comp ed claim.
- Documenting missed services
Build a clear record of missed special education services: a simple timeline method NYC parents can use to show what was owed and what was delivered.
- Writing to the school
What to include in a letter to your child's NYC school about missed IEP services, and why putting it in writing protects your child.
- Advocate or attorney?
The difference between a special education advocate and an attorney in NYC comp ed cases, what each does, and how fees usually work.
- Filing a due process complaint
What a due process complaint is, what it must say, where NYC families file it, and what happens after it's filed.
- Resolution meetings and mediation
After a due process complaint: the resolution meeting, the option of mediation, and how many NYC comp ed cases settle before a hearing.
- The impartial hearing
What to expect at an impartial hearing for compensatory services: who is there, how evidence is presented, and how the hearing officer decides.
- Reading your order or settlement
The terms that matter in an impartial hearing order or settlement for compensatory tutoring: hours, provider rules, rate, deadline and how to get paid.
- Using your hours
Practical steps to turn awarded comp ed hours into real tutoring: finding a provider, scheduling, tracking sessions and avoiding lost hours.
- Related Services Authorizations (RSAs)
NYC's Related Services Authorization explained: when the DOE issues one, what it lets a family do, and what to check with an independent provider.
- What is SETSS?
SETSS in NYC explained: what Special Education Teacher Support Services are, how they appear on an IEP, and what happens when they're not provided.
- Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms NYC parents meet in special education and compensatory services cases: IEP, FAPE, IHO, SRO, RSA, SETSS and more.
- Who qualifies?
Which NYC students may qualify for compensatory services: children with IEPs who missed services, late evaluations, and other common situations.
- Why it is worth trying
Missed special education time doesn't catch itself up. Why NYC families pursue compensatory services, what it can cost them, and what they stand to gain.
- Possible outcomes
What can happen after a family asks for compensatory services: settlements, hearing orders, partial awards, denials and appeals, explained.
Missing services
- Missed IEP Speech Therapy in NYC: What to Do
If speech-language sessions in the IEP are missing, check the schedule and records first.
- Missed IEP Occupational Therapy: A Parent Guide
If occupational therapy is missing from the schedule, find the IEP recommendation and ask how it's being provided.
- No SETSS Provider Assigned in NYC: Next Steps
If your child has recommended SETSS but no assigned provider, ask what's missing and what the school will do next.
- Repeated IEP Service Cancellations: Keep a Clear Record
Repeated cancellations can be hard to piece together later.
- Shortened IEP Sessions: Comparing Minutes and Records
If sessions seem shorter than the IEP recommends, record the actual minutes instead of marking each session complete or missed.
Records and meetings
- IEP Service Logs Do Not Match: What Parents Can Do
If a service log conflicts with your calendar or your child's attendance, identify the exact entries you question.
- How to Organize IEP Records for a Consultation
Organized records let you spend a consultation on decisions instead of searching email.
- Preparing for an NYC IEP Meeting About Missing Services
At an IEP meeting, you can discuss your child's program with the team.
- After an IEP Meeting: A Parent Follow-Up Checklist
After an IEP meeting, send a short follow-up while the discussion is fresh.
- Prior Written Notice: What NYC Parents Should Check
Read prior written notice carefully when the school proposes or refuses certain special education actions.
Finding a provider
- NYC P4 Letters for SETSS: What to Check
A P4 letter is for independent SETSS services.
- Finding a Provider Who Accepts Your NYC RSA
An authorization only helps if you can find a suitable provider.
- A Provider Search Log for NYC Special Education
A search log helps you keep track of calls and show where the search is getting stuck.
- Choosing a Tutor for Compensatory Education Hours
Tutoring needs to fit your child's learning needs and the award's terms.
- Questions to Ask at a Tutoring Intake Meeting
After a tutoring intake, you should know what happens next.
Using an award
- How to Track Used and Remaining Compensatory Hours
An hours tracker should record time actually used, beyond what was on the calendar.
- Planning Tutoring Before a Compensatory Award Expires
An award can be hard to use when the remaining schedule is too full.
- Who Pays for Compensatory Tutoring? Questions to Ask
Before tutoring starts, check the payment terms in the award and any provider agreement.
- Changing a Compensatory Tutoring Provider
If a tutoring arrangement isn't working, plan the transition carefully.
- Preparing for the First Compensatory Tutoring Session
The first tutoring session is easier when you and the provider agree on the details and a starting point.
Learning and progress
- Setting Reading Tutoring Goals With Your Child's Tutor
A useful reading goal names a skill to practice and a way to check it.
- Setting Practical Writing Goals for Tutoring
Writing involves several tasks, and a child may need different support for each.
- Setting Math Tutoring Goals Beyond a Grade Label
A math tutoring plan is easier to discuss when it names the child's task.
- Keeping Work Samples to Discuss Tutoring Progress
A small set of dated work samples can make a progress conversation concrete.
- How to Review Tutoring Progress With a Provider
At a progress review, compare the original goal with recent work and decide what to teach next.
Decisions and support
- IEP Progress Reports vs. Report Cards
Report cards and IEP progress reports may answer different questions.
- Compensatory Services vs. Private Tutoring Reimbursement
Future service hours and repayment of expenses are different forms of relief.
- Preparing for a Special Education Consultation
A first conversation is most useful when you explain the concern, important dates, and decision you need help with.
- NY State Complaint vs. Due Process: Key Differences
New York offers more than one way to raise special education concerns.
- Requesting an Interpreter for an NYC IEP Meeting
If language support would help you participate in an IEP meeting, ask when it's scheduled.
