Services
What Is Compensatory Education When Services Are Missed?
When a school does not deliver the services written into a child's IEP — a therapist is out for weeks with no substitute, a paraprofessional position sits unfilled, a subject never gets the promised specialized instruction — the remedy is usually compensatory education: extra services designed to make up the educational ground that was lost. It is not automatic. Parents generally have to document the gap, request it, and often negotiate the amount. This guide explains how compensatory education is calculated, how to document a shortfall so it holds up, and what to say when you ask for it.
10 min read · Updated July 20, 2026
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