What school services should I ask for to support my child with autism?

Many students who qualify for special education under autism eligibility may benefit from the following services:

• Speech and language services to support deficits in receptive and/or expressive language, articulation, and social pragmatic language. If a student requires the use of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), ensure that the AAC provider is listed on the services page of the IEP, at the very least to provide annual consult/training to any direct staff who may support your child throughout the year.
• Occupational therapy to support deficits in fine motor skills and sensory differences.
• Social skills to facilitate and supplement social interaction and social language development. Make sure the student is getting social time with both general education peers and SpEd peers.
• Adaptive PE if the student struggles with motor coordination and/or motor planning. Group APE is great for social skills as well.
• Recreational therapy to support the student’s development of recreational skills.
• Assistive technology supports and consultation if the student struggles with access to their curriculum and may benefit from tech tools to support reading, writing, math, etc.
• Behavior intervention services to oversee the implementation of any behavior goals and/or the behavior intervention plan.

For more information about developing an IEP for a student with autism, see our article Getting a Child with Autism the School Supports They Need.