Opinion ID: 156357
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Related Services

Text: 76 A FAPE under the IDEA includes special education and related services, if necessary. 20 U.S.C. §§ 1412, 1401(a)(18). The regulations define related services as including transportation and ... speech pathology and audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, ... counseling services, ... school health services, social work services in schools, and parent counseling and training. 34 C.F.R. § 300.16(a). State regulations require a statement of the specific education services and related services needed by the child. Kan. Admin. Regs. § 91-12-41(f)(5). 77 Molly's IEPs stated that she would receive speech/language services for 30 minutes per day and transportation services. They also provided that an occupational therapist would screen current motor functioning; Molly would receive school social work services, school counseling and an inclusion facilitator as appropriate; she would receive an annual audiology evaluation; and a behavior specialist would consult with the IEP team as appropriate. Appellant's App. Vol. 4 at 70. 78 The hearing officer found that as appropriate was not a clear indication of the level of services to be provided. Memorandum and Order at 19, Addendum to Appellant's Br. at 19. She also found, however, that [n]o evidence was introduced that a related service was requested and denied. Id. The reviewing officer disagreed with the hearing officer's ultimate disposition of this issue, finding that the IEPs did not meet the procedural requirements in the IDEA and Kansas law for describing the related services, inasmuch as [o]nly the description of speech/language services includes a statement of the amount of services to be provided. Review Officer's Decision at 17, Addendum to Appellant's Br. at 42. The district court held that the statement of related services complied with the IDEA and Kansas law because 79 [t]he uncontroverted evidence indicates that [the O'Tooles] had ample opportunity to explore the related services provided to [Molly] at [Molly's] IEP meetings and that [Molly] was never denied any requested related services. Moreover, the statements contained in the ... IEPs describing the related services satisfy the requirements in 34 C.F.R. § 300.346(a)(3) and K[an]. A[dmin]. R[eg]. § 91-12-41(f)(5). 80 O'Toole, 963 F.Supp. at 1013-14. 81 We agree with the reviewing officer that the term as appropriate fails adequately to specify the level of related services the District committed to provide, as required by the IDEA and Kansas law. However, the record supports the findings by the hearing officer and the district court that Molly was never denied any related service her parents sought for her. 19 It is important to distinguish between the statement of [related] services in the IEP and the provision of [related] services. Urban, 89 F.3d at 726 (emphasis added). While we do not condone statements that related services will be provided as appropriate, and while we recognize that the District should specify in its IEPs the level at which such services will be provided, we hold that these technical irregularities did not produce, in this case, a violation of Kansas law or the IDEA. See id.; see also Roland M., 910 F.2d at 994 (Before an IEP is set aside, there must be some rational basis to believe that procedural inadequacies compromised the pupil's right to an appropriate education, seriously hampered the parents' opportunity to participate in the formulation process, or caused a deprivation of educational benefits.). 82