One Partner for Every Student’s IEP Support Needs

The Everyday Reality of Related Service Provider Shortages

‍"Should we get the speech-language pathologist a scooter so she can get to all three campuses in one day?"

"Where can I rent a private space to provide make-up occupational therapy sessions during the summer? How am I going to pay the rent?"

"My provider's caseload is full, but I don't have enough students to justify hiring another part-time or full-time provider."

"My student is leaving the country for several weeks because of a family emergency. How are we going to make up the physical therapy sessions they'll miss?"

"There are no other speech-language pathologists in the area to fill this position, even at a competitive salary."

These are just a few of the questions I asked myself during my time as a founding Director of Special Education in New York City. These weren't hypothetical situations. They were the everyday realities of trying to ensure students received the services they were entitled to while navigating staffing shortages, scheduling conflicts, budget constraints, and compliance requirements. If you work in education today, chances are your list looks remarkably similar.

Every open position creates a ripple effect. When a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or school psychologist isn't available, students wait longer for services, administrators spend countless hours searching for qualified providers, and school teams work tirelessly to meet the mandates outlined in each student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).

One Partner for More Complete IEP Support

At Fullmind, we've always believed that schools don't just need or want another vendor. They need a partner that understands the challenges they are facing because we've lived them alongside our customers.

Since our founding, Fullmind has partnered with schools across the country to provide high-quality certified educators who help students succeed socio-emotionally and academically. Whether districts need hourly instruction, long-term teacher coverage, or full-time virtual educators, we've worked alongside school leaders to build flexible staffing solutions that meet students where they are.

As the needs of our partners evolved, so did our support. When districts told us they needed experienced Special Education case managers, we listened and worked alongside these same partners to co-design a virtual Case Manager role. Together, we built a seamless solution to navigate documentation, coordination, and compliance. Today, Fullmind proudly supports hundreds of districts nationwide with these services which complement our other offerings for learners of diverse presentations that we have been implementing since day one in 2014.

In our continued partnership with schools, one message continued to surface in conversations with school leaders:

Finding qualified, licensed Related Service providers remains one of the greatest challenges in school buildings.

For the 2026–2027 school year, Fullmind is expanding our partnership with schools by offering Related Services delivered by licensed, experienced professionals. This expansion allows districts to access high-quality virtual providers for services such as speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, counseling, school psychology, and other related services that help students access their education and achieve the goals outlined in their IEPs.

Fullmind now supports all mandates on a student’s IEP. Rather than coordinating multiple staffing partners, districts can work with one trusted organization dedicated to helping them meet student needs in a secure, high-quality virtual environment.

Every step of Fullmind's growth has been driven by the same principle: listen to administrators and respond to their greatest challenges. Our expansion into Related Services isn't simply about adding another offering. This is our way to solve problems our customers currently have and support students more holistically. As a former administrator myself, it is a support that I wished I had.

Every staffing vacancy represents more than an unfilled position. It represents a student waiting for the support they need to learn, grow, and thrive.

We're proud to continue expanding the ways we partner with schools, helping districts overcome staffing shortages, stay in compliance, and ensure every student has access to the high-quality services they deserve, no matter where they live.

‍