Traveling during the school year: can my child continue to receive services?

[DeeDee]

My family and I are seriously considering doing a bunch of cross-country traveling this year. We do have virtual learning options via the public school, but I just learned some of the services my daughter receives cannot be done virtually if we're in a state where the providers aren't certified. Is that a real thing and what are the best ways around it? Or is it just the sacrifice we have to make if we pursue the travel idea?

[Carolyn Rowlett]

I will preface this with I've never come across this issue and a quick search didn't turn up much.  I'll also preface it with the fact that it's hard to advise on this one without reading the actual IEP, services, placement, not knowing if the student is home-schooled with IEP services provided or attends the public school, etc.

But my gut instinct tells me that if the parent decides to pull the student for travel and makes implementation of the IEP impossible, that would be on the parent.  However, I'm a little confused about the virtual option.  Is the school district saying THEIR providers are not certified in that state?  That actually might make sense and "be a thing."  Hopefully someone else has some ideas or has run across this before.

[JSD24]

I've run into this.  In order to do teletherapy or telemed, the provider has to be certified in the state the patient is in.  I've seen it with ADHD meds and a student going out of state to college.  Also happened during the pandemic with kids staying in another state with grandparents while the parents, who are essential workers, went to work.  The therapist wasn't certified to work in the other state so they couldn't provide services.

In theory, the teachers are certified in your state and shouldn't be teaching kids in other states either.  I have a feeling that some parents get around this by not mentioning that they aren't home.  I know when it comes to home/hospital education, the LEA is the district the hospital is in.  The only exception I know is McKinney-Vento which covers homeless students who might be staying outside of the district where the familiar district provides bussing to the old school so they have some continuity and this doesn't apply to traveling.

I know some virtual school cater to actors and athletes who might be out of state for work/competitions.  Not sure how they get around the teacher not being certified in the state they are in.

[DeeDee]

Thanks for your responses. She receives speech and OT, and those are the ones certified in our home state.

It's a public district that kept its online version after COVID.

[EmilyM]

I'm familiar with this. I think the general ed teacher thing depends on school/state laws, but it's pretty standards for certain specialists to  need to be state-certified.

I hope you come to a decision for your family that works for everyone!