Related Services in a Kansas IEP: Speech Therapy, OT, Assistive Technology, and Paraprofessionals

If your child's IEP includes speech therapy, occupational therapy, assistive technology, or a paraprofessional aide, those are "related services" — supports provided alongside specially designed instruction to help your child access their education. They are not extras or bonuses. Under IDEA and Kansas Administrative Regulations Article 34, related services the IEP team determines your child needs must be provided as written in the IEP.

That sounds straightforward. In practice, Kansas parents run into three recurring problems: services listed in the IEP that aren't actually being delivered as specified, services being reduced without required parental consent, and confusion about who is responsible when services are managed through an interlocal cooperative rather than the local district.

Speech Therapy in Kansas Schools

Speech or Language Impairment is one of the largest disability categories in Kansas special education. Under Kansas eligibility indicators, speech services can address articulation disorders, language disorders (receptive or expressive), fluency issues like stuttering, and voice disorders.

A child qualifies for speech therapy in their IEP when the speech-language impairment adversely affects their educational performance. This is a critical standard — the research from formal complaints filed with KSDE shows that Kansas districts sometimes argue a speech issue doesn't rise to the level of "educational impact" even when it measurably affects classroom participation and peer communication. If a district's speech-language pathologist says your child scores below normal limits on assessments but the district is arguing there's no educational need, you have grounds to dispute that conclusion and request an Independent Educational Evaluation.

What the IEP must specify: The frequency, location, and duration of speech services. Not "as needed" — a specific number of sessions per week or month, and for how many minutes. Vague IEP language like "speech support will be provided" without a stated frequency is a compliance problem.

Who provides it: In many Kansas districts, especially outside the metro areas, speech-language pathologists are employed by the interlocal cooperative, not the local school. They may rotate between multiple schools on a fixed schedule. That means your child's SLP might only be at the building one or two days per week. If your child's IEP specifies three sessions per week and the SLP is only physically present twice weekly, the district has a problem they need to solve — not just tell you it's not possible.

Occupational Therapy in Kansas IEPs

OT services address fine motor skills, sensory processing, handwriting, and the ability to perform activities of daily living in the school environment. A child may qualify for OT as a related service when these issues affect their ability to access the curriculum or participate in school activities.

Like speech services, OT in Kansas is frequently provided through cooperative staff. The same logistical constraints apply — specialists who rotate across multiple buildings, limited availability, scheduling that doesn't always align with what the IEP specifies.

When OT is not listed in the IEP: If your child's evaluations indicate OT needs but the team chose not to include OT services in the IEP, request that the team document their reasoning in a Prior Written Notice. If you disagree with that decision, you can request an IEE for an independent occupational therapy evaluation.

Frequency requirements: Like speech therapy, the IEP must specify how often OT is provided and for how long. A common issue is groups versus individual sessions — the IEP may say "OT services 2x weekly for 30 minutes" but your child is being seen in a group of 5 students, which may not meet the intensity the IEP intended.

Assistive Technology in Kansas IEPs

Kansas schools are required to consider assistive technology (AT) for every student with an IEP. "Consider" is the key word — the team must actively think about whether AT would benefit the student, not just assume it's unnecessary. Common AT tools in Kansas IEPs include:

• Text-to-speech software
• Screen magnification
• Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices
• Adapted keyboards or input devices
• Graphic organizers and organizational software

For Kansas Assessment Program (KAP) testing, AT accommodations must be specifically documented in the IEP. KSDE's Kansas Accessibility Manual distinguishes between universal features (available to all students), designated features (educator-selected), and accommodations that require IEP or 504 documentation. If your child uses text-to-speech for daily learning, make sure that accommodation is explicitly listed in the IEP so it carries over to state testing.

If AT was never discussed at your child's IEP meeting: You can raise it at any time. Send a written request asking the team to formally consider AT and document their conclusion. If they determine AT is not needed, they must explain that reasoning in writing.

AT devices provided by the school: If the IEP specifies an AT device, the school is responsible for providing it and maintaining it. Issues arise when devices aren't repaired promptly, software isn't updated, or the device isn't sent home when the child needs it for homework. These are implementation failures, not situations you just have to accept.

Paraprofessional Support and Aide Hours

Paraprofessionals — sometimes called aides or paraeducators — provide direct support to students in the classroom and other school settings. When an IEP specifies paraprofessional support, the hours and nature of that support must be delivered as written.

This is one of the most contested areas in Kansas special education, for two reasons:

Budget pressure: Dedicated one-on-one paraprofessional support is expensive. With Kansas's chronic gap between the state's statutory obligation to fund 92% of special education excess costs and the actual funding level (which has hovered around 66-76% in recent years), districts are under immense pressure to minimize aide assignments. Parents often face pushback when requesting or maintaining paraprofessional support.

Reduction without consent: If your child's aide hours are reduced — even temporarily due to "staffing challenges" — and that reduction is 25% or more of the specified service, the school must obtain your written consent first under Kansas's state-specific 25 Percent Rule. This is not optional. If you discover hours were cut without your consent, document it in writing and request immediate restoration and a Prior Written Notice explaining the change.

What "paraprofessional support" means in practice: The IEP should specify how many hours of aide support, in what settings, and for what purposes. "Paraprofessional support as needed" is too vague. If your child's IEP doesn't specify hours and conditions, request that it be amended to do so.

The Interlocal Cooperative Complication

Most Kansas related services — speech, OT, PT, school psychology — are delivered through interlocal cooperative staff, not district employees. This matters when services aren't being delivered as written.

When you contact your local school principal about a service problem, they may genuinely have limited authority to fix it if the provider is a cooperative employee. The cooperative director, not the local superintendent, often has actual management authority over those staff.

If you need to escalate a related services complaint, send written documentation to:

1. Your local school district's special education director
2. The interlocal cooperative director

Both are part of the "local educational agency" responsible for your child's FAPE. KSDE's annual Kansas Educational Directory lists all cooperatives and contact information.

When Services Aren't Being Delivered

If IEP services are consistently not provided as specified — sessions canceled without makeup, the SLP position is vacant for weeks, aide hours aren't being tracked — this is a FAPE violation. Your options:

Request compensatory services: If services were missed, the district may owe your child makeup time. Put the request in writing.

File a formal state complaint with KSDE: KSDE will assign an investigator within 30 days. If the complaint is substantiated, the district must implement corrective actions. Families Together (800-264-6343) or the Disability Rights Center of Kansas (877-776-1541) can help you understand the process.

The Kansas IEP & 504 Blueprint covers how to document related services issues, what to put in a services complaint letter, and how to navigate the cooperative structure when your local district says their hands are tied. You can get it at /us/kansas/iep-guide.

Practical Steps for Common Related Services Issues

Your child's IEP mentions speech/OT but sessions are being missed:

1. Ask the provider directly: how many sessions have been held this quarter vs. what the IEP specifies?
2. Send a written request for a log of all services delivered to date
3. If sessions are significantly behind, request compensatory services in writing

Aide hours were reduced without notice:

1. Document when you found out, how many hours were reduced, and by what percentage
2. Send a written objection requesting restoration of original hours and a Prior Written Notice
3. Reference the Kansas 25 Percent Rule requirement for written consent before this type of change

AT was never discussed at the IEP meeting:

1. Send a written request that the team formally consider and document their AT determination
2. If they decline, request an AT evaluation as part of an IEE

Related services disputes are winnable when you document carefully and know the specific Kansas regulatory requirements that apply.

See more United States guides →