Virginia IEP Related Services: Transportation, Assistive Technology, and Speech Therapy

The instructional components of an IEP — goals, specially designed instruction, the placement decision — tend to get the most attention. Related services often get less scrutiny, and that is where significant gaps develop. Transportation that doesn't accommodate a child's behavioral needs, assistive technology that sits in a closet, speech therapy delivered by a rotating cast of substitutes — each of these represents a failure to implement the IEP as written and an entitlement that can be enforced.

Here is what Virginia law requires for three of the most common related services, and where parents have the most leverage when those services fall short.

Special Education Transportation in Virginia

What the IEP Must Say

Transportation is a related service under IDEA and Virginia's 8VAC20-81. When a child requires special transportation to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE), it must be written into the IEP — not just assumed or verbally arranged.

The IEP's transportation provision should specify:

• Whether the child requires special transportation (a smaller bus, a vehicle equipped for a wheelchair, a route with different stops)
• Any behavioral or health supports needed during transport (a paraprofessional aide on the bus, medical equipment, behavioral protocols)
• Whether transportation is between school and home, or between school and a service provider or alternative program
• Extended school year (ESY) transportation if ESY services are included in the IEP

When transportation is listed as a required related service, it is a legally binding commitment. If the child needs a bus aide per the IEP and that aide is not present, the child does not have to ride without one — and the parent can insist this be remedied through the same compliance mechanisms as any other missed IEP service.

When Transportation Issues Arise

Common transportation problems Virginia parents encounter:

• Excessive travel times: A child with sensory sensitivities or behavioral needs placed on a general education bus route with a 90-minute ride because no shorter route has been arranged. If the travel time causes the child distress that interferes with the school day, this is a service delivery failure.
• Missing aides: The IEP mandates a bus aide but the position is vacant or the aide was absent and no substitute was arranged.
• Placement changes without transportation adjustment: A child's placement changes to a school across the division, but no updated transportation plan follows.
• ESY transportation gaps: Summer services are written into the IEP but the transportation provision is not extended to cover those dates.

For any of these, document the specific date and nature of the failure in a written email to the special education director. Request the compensatory plan in writing.

Transportation and Behavioral Incidents

If a child's behavioral needs make riding a standard bus unsafe or inappropriate, those needs must be addressed in the IEP transportation section — not managed through informal conversations with the driver. If a child has a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) that includes protocols for behavioral escalation, the bus staff should be trained on those protocols. An IEP that is fully implemented in the classroom but not communicated to transportation staff is not being fully implemented.

Assistive Technology in Virginia IEPs

The Legal Standard

Virginia school divisions are required to consider assistive technology devices and services for every student with an IEP. "Consider" means the team must actively discuss whether AT is needed — not just include it as a checkbox item to be skipped. If the team determines AT is required for the child to receive FAPE, it must be provided at no cost to the family.

Assistive technology includes both devices (hardware, software, apps) and services (evaluation, training, maintenance). Common AT included in Virginia IEPs:

• Text-to-speech software: Tools like Snap&Read, Read&Write, or built-in accessibility features on school devices, for students who cannot access grade-level text independently due to dyslexia, visual impairments, or processing difficulties
• Speech-to-text: Voice input tools for students whose written expression is significantly limited by fine motor, processing speed, or dysgraphia challenges
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Communication apps and devices for students with limited or absent verbal communication (autism, cerebral palsy, TBI)
• Screen magnification and screen readers: For students with visual impairments
• Graphic organizers and planning tools: For students with executive function deficits
• Calculators and math tools: For students with dyscalculia whose IEP allows calculator access
• Keyboard alternatives: For students with fine motor difficulties affecting standard keyboard use

When AT Is Written In But Not Delivered

The most common AT failure is not refusal — it is neglect. The IEP includes "text-to-speech software" as an accommodation, the student has never received training on it, the software is not installed on their assigned device, and the classroom teacher has never been told it is a required accommodation.

This is an IEP implementation failure. To enforce AT delivery:

1. Confirm what device or software is specified in the IEP
2. Verify whether that device or software is actually accessible to the student (not just available on a library computer they never use)
3. Document any request for training that was not provided
4. If the AT is listed in the IEP and not being used, treat it the same as any other missed service: document in writing, request corrective action, invoke Prior Written Notice if the issue persists

Requesting an AT Evaluation

If you believe your child needs AT that is not currently in the IEP, request a formal assistive technology evaluation in writing. The AT evaluation should be completed by someone with appropriate expertise — often a special education specialist with AT certification or an occupational therapist with AT training. The evaluation assesses the student's current needs, the environments where AT would be used, and specific devices or software that would address those needs.

A division that relies on a classroom teacher's opinion — "the student doesn't really need that" — to deny AT without a formal evaluation has not met the consideration standard.

Speech Therapy in Virginia IEPs

How Virginia Treats Speech-Language Services

Virginia has a distinct approach to speech-language pathology services that differs from many other states: speech therapy can be considered either the primary special education service or a related service, depending on the child's disability profile.

If the child's primary disability is a speech or language impairment — and that is the primary basis for IDEA eligibility — the speech services are the special education, not a related service attached to another program. This distinction affects how the IEP is structured and which team members are required to be involved.

For students whose primary disability is something other than speech (autism, intellectual disability, SLD), speech-language services are typically a related service — additional support that helps the child access and benefit from the special education program.

What the Speech Section of the IEP Must Include

The IEP's speech-language services must specify:

• The specific type of service (articulation, language, pragmatic/social communication, fluency, AAC)
• The frequency and duration (e.g., 30 minutes twice per week in a small group)
• The setting (pull-out vs. push-in)
• The provider's qualifications
• Goals that are measurable and directly linked to the PLAAFP's language and communication baseline

A goal like "student will improve expressive language" is not measurable. It should read something like "given a sentence starter, student will produce a grammatically correct 4-5 word sentence in 4 of 5 opportunities as measured in weekly language samples."

The Substitution and Vacancy Problem

Speech-language pathologist (SLP) positions are among the hardest to fill in Virginia, particularly in rural divisions. When an SLP position is vacant, speech therapy services fall through. What parents should know:

• SLP assistants cannot provide services independently: In Virginia, speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) must be supervised by a licensed SLP and may not function as the primary provider of services. If your child's speech therapy is being delivered entirely by an unlicensed assistant with no supervising SLP, this may not satisfy the IEP.
• Teletherapy is an option: Licensed SLPs can deliver services via video session. If the division's in-house position is vacant, teletherapy from a qualified provider is a legitimate interim solution — but it must be agreed to and documented.
• Missed sessions are compensatory education: Every missed session is a missed service. Document them and request compensatory sessions in writing.

Speech Therapy for Students Who Are AAC Users

If your child uses an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device or app, the speech-language services in the IEP should specifically address:

• Ongoing AAC vocabulary programming and expansion
• Training for teaching staff and family on AAC use
• Integration of AAC across the school day, not only during SLP sessions

An AAC device that is only used during the scheduled speech session is not being implemented as a communication tool — it is a prop. The IEP should address generalization of AAC use across all settings.

Writing Related Services into the IEP: Practical Tips

When advocating for related services to be included or improved in your child's IEP:

1. Document the functional need: Before the meeting, write down specifically how your child's disability creates a need for the service. "My child cannot independently access printed text, which prevents participation in all subject areas" is more persuasive than "my child needs reading help."

2. Request a related services evaluation if needed: You can request an evaluation specifically for occupational therapy, physical therapy, assistive technology, or other services if you believe the current plan is missing a necessary service.

3. Use Prior Written Notice for refusals: If the team refuses to include a related service you've requested, invoke 8VAC20-81-170 and request PWN documenting the refusal and the options considered.

4. Check implementation quarterly: Don't wait for the annual review to find out services aren't being delivered. Request service logs at the midpoint of each semester and compare delivered minutes to IEP mandates.

The Virginia IEP & 504 Advocacy Playbook includes templates for requesting related services evaluations, service log data, and compensatory education — the documentation infrastructure you need before problems become patterns.

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