Transportation as a Related Service
The IEP should carefully and thoroughly spell out the transportation that may be required for a student as a related service in the IEP.
The following are general guidelines to help IEP teams examine the need for transportation as a related service, with the understanding that special circumstances or exceptions may be discussed and consensus may be reached by the IEP team:
- Consider a student whose disability includes personal factors such as the health, social judgment, behavioral needs or lack of ability to communicate such that the safety of the student is a primary consideration, specialized transportation or some other mode of transportation (specialized bus, van, taxi, ride service, etc.) may be considered appropriate to address the student’s needs.
- Consider transportation when the student is being placed at a facility other than the school of residence or LEA of enrollment as a result of their disability.
- Specialized transportation for students with disabilities may be needed if the psycho-educational assessment information indicates that the identified disabilities preclude the student when compared to same-age peers that are all meeting to be bused, and the student is unable to meet the bus due to the student’s disability.
TAKE NOTE: An administrative law judge ruled a Washington district’s procedural errors affected the parent’s opportunity to participate in the IEP process because it unilaterally decided the student did not qualify for transportation without involving the parent in the discussion.