A school district’s duty to accommodate students with disabilities extends beyond the classroom setting into field trips and other offsite, school-sponsored activities.

School districts must accommodate students with disabilities in all school-sponsored activities, including field trips.  If a school district determines that it cannot safely accommodate a student with a disability during a field trip, the district is permitted to exclude the student from participating; but this situation should occur only under very limited circumstances.  Such determinations must be based on the student’s individualized needs and behaviors, as opposed to general beliefs and perceptions about students with certain disabilities.  When making such determinations, districts should consider input from multiple sources, including the student’s teachers, service providers and parents.  All relevant documentation should be considered, including the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan and documents regarding the student’s behaviors and safety issues.  Moreover, decisions regarding possible exclusions and accommodations for field trips should be made collectively by the district’s Committee on Special Education or Section 504 Team, whichever is applicable for the student, as opposed to individual teachers or school administrators.

The burden is always on the school district to establish that a student with a disability should be excluded from the trip.  Thus, a parent should never be asked to prove that his or her child can safely participate in a field trip or activity.  If a student with a disability is able to participate in a field trip with reasonable accommodations, the school district is obligated to provide such accommodations.  Under such circumstances, district personnel should look to the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan for guidance.  But if an IEP or Section 504 plan does not contemplate or address circumstances similar to those that will exist on the trip, district personnel will need to determine the level of services and accommodations necessary for the student to participate.  The student may require more or fewer services and/or accommodations than typically provided in school, depending on the circumstances.

The most common student accommodations for field trips include:

• (i) the provision of medication (e.g., insulin for diabetic students);
• (ii) a behavior plan, in anticipation of behaviors that may arise during the field trip (potentially based on stimuli unique to the field trip and/or distinct from what usually occurs at school);
• (iii) transportation accommodations;
• (iv) mobility accommodations;
• and (v) a personal aide.

These accommodations should be provided by district personnel.  School districts should not require parents to accompany students with disabilities on field trips.

Field trip accommodations can be complex.  The decision-making process therefore should not be put off until the last minute the last minute, such as the evening or morning of the trip.  The relevant staff members will need to determine, among other things, (1) the specific accommodations to be provided and (2) who shall provide them.  Also, documentation may need to be developed, such as a behavioral or medical plan specifically for the trip. New and unique accommodations may need to be implemented.  One possible accommodation is peer support (in conjunction with staff support), which may be helpful in field-trip environments.  School district personnel should plan ahead for success.

District personnel must determine appropriate staffing levels in advance of field trips.  This is particularly crucial for students who may require medical attention or medication during a field trip.  If a student will require medication during a field trip, appropriate staffing will need to be provided; including the possibility of providing a nurse unless the parent volunteers to attend or if the student receives medication from an EpiPen, which may be provided by trained non-medical professionals under certain circumstances. Similarly, a student may require a personal aide on a trip based on the student’s needs and the circumstances surrounding the trip, including the anticipated staff-to-student ratio for the trip and any safety issues/concerns.

These rules and accommodation requirements apply to all school-sponsored trips, including overnight and out-of-town trips.  These activities require a significant amount of planning on all levels, especially with respect to staffing.  The financial costs are higher, the risks are greater and the assessment is more complex than usual because school personnel must assess the extent to which each student requires accommodations during a 24-hour day.