What are related services?

Related services are the therapies and supports that help a student take part in school and reach IEP goals. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and counseling are the ones NYC families hear about most. This guide explains each in plain words, how to read them on the IEP, how the DOE finds a provider, and why these are so often the sessions that go missing.

Related services in one sentence

The NYC Public Schools say related services can help a student participate in school and achieve educational goals. They are separate from the class your child sits in. A child can be in a general education class all day and still get speech twice a week.

They can be listed on an IEP, or on an IESP for a child in a private or religious school. If you are new to IEPs, start with what an IEP is.

The main types, in plain words

The DOE lists these related services. Here is what each one is for:

• Speech and language therapy. Helps with listening and speaking. Goals can cover understanding language, forming clear sounds, organizing speech sounds, processing the sounds of language, and social language. See missed speech therapy.
• Occupational therapy (OT). Helps with eye and hand control and using the senses and attention for everyday skills like eating, self-care, problem solving and social skills. Handwriting and cutting often fall here. See missed occupational therapy.
• Physical therapy (PT). Builds independence moving around school: classrooms, the gym, the playground, bathrooms, hallways and stairs. It works on large-muscle control, walking, balance and coordination.
• Counseling. Works on social, emotional and coping skills. Goals may cover school behavior, self-control, getting along with peers, handling conflict and self-esteem.
• Hearing education services. For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, covering speech-reading, listening training and language.
• Vision education services. For students who are blind or have low vision, including braille.
• Orientation and mobility. Helps students with visual impairments move safely around their surroundings.
• Assistive technology services. Help students use school materials and communicate.
• School nurse services. For students with health needs. The DOE says students with complex medical needs may have a 1:1 nurse.
• Sign language interpreter. An interpreter in class so the student can follow teaching and talk with others.

The DOE also mentions paraprofessional services alongside these. Unfamiliar terms are in our glossary.

How a related service appears on the IEP

The DOE says the IEP lists each recommended service with when it begins, how often it is provided, where it is provided, and how long each session is. It also says a service may be one-on-one or in a small group. So each line usually carries five facts:

1. The service. For example, speech-language therapy.
2. Frequency. How many sessions, often per week.
3. Duration. How long each session lasts, such as 30 minutes.
4. Group size. Individual, or a small group, often with a maximum number.
5. Location. In the classroom, or somewhere else in the school.

Each of these matters. Two sessions a week is not the same as one. A group of five is not the same as one-on-one. If a provider sees your child in a bigger group than the IEP says, that is worth writing down.

In the classroom or out of it

The DOE says related services can happen in the classroom, where providers work with teachers and other adults, or in another place in the school. Families sometimes call these "push-in" and "pull-out." Either can be right. What matters is that it matches what the IEP recommends.

How the DOE finds a provider

The DOE says it assigns providers in a set order it calls a "cascade." For students in public school grades K to 12:

1. First choice is a DOE therapist already assigned to your child's school.
2. If none is available, the DOE looks to its contracted agencies.
3. If no agency provider is available, the DOE gives the family a voucher to find an independent provider.

For students in non-public schools, the DOE says it starts with contracted agencies and then moves to a voucher. For preschool, it starts with contracted agencies and then finds an independent provider.

What an RSA is

The voucher for related services is called an RSA, which the DOE spells out as Related Service Agreement. The voucher for SETSS is called a P4. Many families call the RSA a "Related Services Authorization." Either way, it lets a family find an independent provider when the DOE could not place one.

The DOE says your school or CSE can help you find a provider, and it offers provider lists and a search tool. If you still cannot find one, it says to contact your school or CSE. Our pages on how RSAs work and finding a provider with an RSA go further. For the teacher support service, see What is SETSS?

Travel to services

Sometimes a service happens away from school. The DOE says families may be reimbursed for transportation in some cases, such as when services are at a site that needs travel and could not be arranged at school or home. It says the DOE reviews each request and makes the final decision. Keep receipts and ask your school how it applies to you.

Why related services are often the ones missed

Classes happen every day whether or not a child has an IEP. Related services depend on one specific person showing up at a set time. That makes them easier to lose. Common reasons families report:

• No provider assigned. The school has no therapist, and the agency step takes time.
• A provider leaves mid-year and is not replaced right away.
• Canceled sessions for meetings, testing days or illness that are not made up. See when providers cancel.
• Groups larger than the IEP says, or sessions shorter than listed.
• An RSA nobody could use. A family got a voucher but could not find a provider with open slots.
• Services that never started after the IEP was signed.

Each missed session is easy to overlook. Over a school year, they can add up to many hours.

How to check what your child actually got

Start with the IEP's service lines. Then compare them with what happened. Ask your child. Read progress reports for notes saying a service was not provided; reading progress reports shows where to look. You can also ask the school for records such as attendance or session logs. Our guide to requesting school records explains how.

Write it down as you go. A simple log with the date, the service and what happened is enough. Documenting missed services has a template.

Questions to ask the school about related services

You do not need to know the rules to ask good questions. These help you find out where things stand:

• Who is my child's provider for each service on the IEP, and are they a DOE therapist or from an agency?
• What days and times are the sessions?
• Is my child seen alone or in a group, and how many students are in the group?
• Are the sessions in the classroom or in another room?
• When a session is canceled, how is it made up?
• If there is no provider, when will one be assigned, or will we get an RSA?

Write down each answer with the date and the name of the person who gave it. If an answer changes later, you will have the first one on paper.

Preschool and private school children

Related services are not only for children in DOE public schools. The DOE lists them as available to students with an IEP or an IESP. For a preschool child, the DOE says it first reaches out to contracted agencies, and if none has a provider, it finds an independent provider. For a school-age child in a non-public school, it reaches out to contracted agencies and then gives a voucher. In these settings, your contact is usually the CPSE or CSE rather than the school's own team.

Because more steps depend on outside agencies and independent providers, gaps can happen here too. The same habit applies: compare the IEP or IESP with what really happened, and keep a log.

When a service on the IEP no longer fits

Sometimes a service is delivered as written but your child's needs have changed. A child may need more speech, or a different kind of support. That is a different question from a missed session. The DOE says you can ask for another IEP meeting to talk about concerns. Bring examples of what you see at home and any notes from the provider. Our page on following up after an IEP meeting helps you keep track of what changes.

When services were missed

If your child went weeks or months without a related service on the IEP, families sometimes ask for make-up services, often called compensatory services. Read what compensatory services are and who may qualify. We cannot say what your child is owed or promise any result. We can help you understand the options.

Your next step

Gather the IEP and any records you have, then use the parent checklist or answer the quick questions. If you want to talk it through, ask for a free callback. IEP Hours is an independent information and referral service. We are not the NYC DOE and not a law firm, we do not give legal advice, and we cannot promise any result. There is no cost to you, now or later.

Official source: NYC DOE: related services.

Your borough office: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens or Staten Island.

Last reviewed: October 2026