The short answer: FES-UA covers a specific list of therapy services, including speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, ABA therapy, psychotherapy, vision therapy, and music, art, and horse therapy. Each service requires a provider with a specific, verifiable license or certification, not just general experience. PEP does not cover any therapy services.
Table of Contents
- Why This Is a FES-UA-Only Benefit
- The Full List of Covered Therapy Services
- What Credential Each Therapy Requires
- Qualifying for FES-UA in the First Place
- What Documentation Your Invoice Needs
- What's Explicitly Not Covered
- FAQ
Why This Is a FES-UA-Only Benefit
This is the single biggest difference between PEP and FES-UA, and it trips up a lot of families who assume the two programs work the same way. Therapy services are not an authorized use of PEP scholarship funds at all. If your child is on PEP and needs speech therapy, occupational therapy, or any other specialized service, those expenses simply aren't reimbursable or payable under that program.
FES-UA, on the other hand, was specifically built around this kind of specialized support. If your child has a qualifying diagnosis or an IEP, FES-UA opens up a therapy benefit that PEP families don't have access to.
The Full List of Covered Therapy Services
FES-UA covers services from these specific categories, each requiring its own type of licensed provider:
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services
- Speech-language pathology services
- Occupational therapy services
- Physical therapy services
- Listening and spoken language specialist services
- Psychotherapy or counseling
- Vision therapy
- Music and art therapy
- Horse therapy
Each of these sits in its own category with its own licensing requirement, and a provider is only approved to render services within their specific specialty.
What Credential Each Therapy Requires
This is where families most often run into trouble, assuming a provider's general reputation or years of experience is enough. It isn't. Step Up requires a specific, documented license for each category:
- ABA services must be provided by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
- Speech-language services require a Florida Department of Health licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP)
- Occupational therapy requires a Florida Department of Health licensed occupational therapist
- Physical therapy requires a Florida Department of Health licensed physical therapist
- Listening and spoken language specialist services require a Florida Department of Health licensed specialist in that field
- Psychotherapy or counseling requires a Florida Department of Health licensed psychologist, school psychologist, mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist, or clinical social worker
- Vision therapy requires a Florida Department of Health licensed optometrist
- Music therapy requires certification by the Certification Board for Music Therapists
- Art therapy requires credentialing by the Art Therapy Credentials Board, Inc.
- Horse therapy requires the center (not necessarily every individual employee) to be a member of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH)
One important nuance: a provider must render services strictly within their approved specialty. Step Up's own handbook gives a direct example of what doesn't qualify, occupational therapy services rendered by a psychologist would not be eligible, even though a psychologist is a licensed provider in a different specialized area.
Qualifying for FES-UA in the First Place
Before any of this matters, your child needs to actually qualify for FES-UA. That requires one of the following:
- An official Individualized Education Plan (IEP), written within the past three years, in accordance with State Board of Education rules, or
- A validated diagnosis from a licensed medical professional
A validated diagnosis must come from one of these specific licensed professionals:
- A Florida-licensed physician (or a physician licensed in another U.S. state or territory)
- A Florida-licensed physician assistant, legally authorized to sign or certify on behalf of a Florida-licensed physician
- A Florida-licensed Autonomous Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
- A Florida-licensed psychologist
The qualifying diagnosis itself has to fall on Step Up's approved list. That list includes Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Speech Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Emotional or Behavioral Disability, Traumatic Brain Injury, Intellectual Disability, and roughly a dozen other specific conditions.
What Documentation Your Invoice Needs
Documentation requirements vary somewhat by therapy category, but at minimum, expect to need the provider's license number or credentials, the specific type of service rendered, the time period of service, the rate, and the total amount due, all in English. Since therapy providers are billed under their own specific category (not lumped in with general tutoring or educational services), make sure whoever is invoicing you understands which category their service actually falls under.
What's Explicitly Not Covered
Step Up's handbook is direct about what falls outside this benefit, even when it sounds similar to an approved service:
- Massage therapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic care are explicitly listed as ineligible
- A service rendered by a provider outside their specific specialized area (the occupational therapy-by-psychologist example above)
- Any therapy or specialized service not on the approved list
- Riding lessons, as distinct from actual horse therapy at a PATH-member center, these fall under Physical Education instead, not the therapy category
Find a provider now: Browse FES-UA approved therapy providers on Florida Education Vendors →
FAQ
Does PEP cover therapy services? No. Therapy services are not an authorized use of PEP scholarship funds. Only FES-UA covers therapy services like speech, occupational, physical, and ABA therapy.
What diagnosis does my child need to qualify for FES-UA? Your child needs either an official IEP written within the past three years, or a validated diagnosis from a licensed medical professional. Accepted diagnoses include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Speech Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, and about 20 other conditions listed in Step Up's Appendix A.
Who can validate my child's diagnosis? A Florida-licensed physician, a Florida-licensed physician assistant authorized to sign on behalf of a physician, a Florida-licensed Autonomous Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, or a Florida-licensed psychologist.
Does an ABA therapist need a specific credential? Yes. ABA services must be provided by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). A provider without that specific certification does not qualify, regardless of experience.
Can any therapist provide any type of therapy under FES-UA? No. A provider must render services within their specific specialized area. For example, occupational therapy services provided by a psychologist would not be eligible, since the provider is not licensed in that specific specialty.
Are massage therapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic care covered? No. These are explicitly listed as ineligible services under FES-UA, along with any therapy or specialized service outside the specific approved list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PEP cover therapy services?
No. Therapy services are not an authorized use of PEP scholarship funds. Only FES-UA covers therapy services like speech, occupational, physical, and ABA therapy.
What diagnosis does my child need to qualify for FES-UA?
Your child needs either an official IEP written within the past three years, or a validated diagnosis from a licensed medical professional. Accepted diagnoses include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Speech Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, and about 20 other conditions listed in Step Up's Appendix A.
Who can validate my child's diagnosis?
A Florida-licensed physician, a Florida-licensed physician assistant authorized to sign on behalf of a physician, a Florida-licensed Autonomous Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, or a Florida-licensed psychologist.
Does an ABA therapist need a specific credential?
Yes. ABA services must be provided by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). A provider without that specific certification does not qualify, regardless of experience.
Can any therapist provide any type of therapy under FES-UA?
No. A provider must render services within their specific specialized area. For example, occupational therapy services provided by a psychologist would not be eligible, since the provider is not licensed in that specific specialty.
Are massage therapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic care covered?
No. These are explicitly listed as ineligible services under FES-UA, along with any therapy or specialized service outside the specific approved list.