Transportation as a Related Service

TRANSPORTATION AS A RELATED SERVICE

The IEP Team is responsible for determining if transportation is required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education and 
related services, and how the transportation services should be implemented. T 34 CFR §§300.107 and 300.117.

The IDEA does not require LEAs to transport children with disabilities in separate vehicles, isolated from their peers. In fact, many children with disabilities can receive the same transportation provided to non disabled children, consistent with the least restrictive environment requirements in 34 CFR §§300.114 through 300.120.

If a student’s ARD committee determines and documents in the IEP that the student requires transportation in order to receive FAPE, the LEA must provide it.

Under IDEA, transportation is considered a “related service.”   Related services are provided to children with disabilities to assist them in benefiting from special education services.  

Not all students with disabilities require special transportation.  Some students with disabilities are able to ride the “regular” bus without any support, or with the support of a sibling or a neighborhood friend.   It may be beneficial for your child to at least attempt this option with natural supports before automatically determining that special transportation is required.  

All students with an IEP are not entitled to transportation.  If transportation is requested for reasons not related to the child's disability, it is not a required related service under IDEA. 

Least Restrictive Environment does apply to transportation considerations.  A student should only be removed from a regular education transportation environment (i.e. the typical school bus) if required because of a disability.  Some students need a specially equipped vehicle to provide safety, but the issue of considering LRE should always come into play when considering special transportation.