What Time of Day Are Special Education Services Provided?

For the most part, special education services are provided during school hours. This may mean that your child may have to miss certain parts of the school day if he or she is receiving services that other children in the classroom do not receive, such as speech or occupational therapy.

Sometimes, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team will decide that it is appropriate for a student to receive services either before or after school. These services could be provided by school personnel or by an outside organization. For example, an IEP team may recommend a social skills group led by someone unaffiliated with the school if there is nothing comparable within the public school community. If the team recommends an independent service provider as an IEP service, the school will be responsible for paying that provider.

Special education services are suspended during weekends and school holidays and breaks, unless the IEP team determines that they are needed at these times. The provision of services during weekends and breaks is called Extended School Year or ESY. Each state has its own regulations for how a student qualifies for ESY services. In general, students who are at risk for losing skills may qualify if data suggests that breaks from educational services have led to behavior or academic problems.