Summer vacation is a time for rest and leisure for a lot of families. However, it can present unforeseen issues for certain students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), particularly those with autism or severe learning disabilities. These students may regress and lose the abilities they have worked so hard to acquire over the school year if they do not receive ongoing support. Extended School Year (ESY) services can help with that.
ESY is neither summer school, nor is it designed to help students make up lost coursework or prepare for the upcoming academic year. Rather, it is a specially crafted support system intended to assist students in preserving their present abilities and avoiding setbacks. ESY focuses on the things that each child needs most to stay on track, whether that be behavior, communication, social interaction, or academic progress.
Additionally, it’s critical to remember that ESY is not a program that works for everyone. Services differ according to each student’s requirements, and not all students with IEPs are eligible. Families may fight for the appropriate support when school is out but learning is still important by being aware of how ESY operates.
What You Need to Know About ESY Services
For students who are at danger of falling behind during school breaks, Extended School Year (ESY) services can be a game-changer. However, a lot of families don’t know what ESY is or how to determine whether their child is eligible. To help you better understand how ESY operates and how it differs from traditional summer school, below is a summary of the key points.
A. ESY Defined by IDEA
Special education and related services offered outside of the regular school year are referred to as ESY under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These services must be provided at no cost to the family and are based on the child’s IEP. They must satisfy your state’s educational requirements and are only given if the IEP team determines they are required to guarantee the child receives a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
B. Eligibility Not Automatic:
A child does not always qualify for ESY just because they have an IEP. Every year, eligibility is reviewed by the IEP team. Parents have the opportunity to request ESY services and to appeal decisions if they disagree with a denial, as eligibility differs from district to district.
C. Key Eligibility Factors: Regression and Recoupment:
Regression and recoupment are the two primary factors that the IEP team considers:
- Regression occurs when a student loses knowledge or abilities while taking a break.
- The time it takes them to recover those abilities is known as recoupment. ESY could be required if a child experiences significant losses and takes a long time to recover.
Other elements consist of:
- The student is about to become proficient in a skill.
- A goal’s progress has stopped.
- To maintain essential life skills like self-care or communication, the student requires assistance.
D. ESY vs. Summer School:
Summer school is not what ESY is. Students can catch up or advance with the help of summer school. The goal of ESY is to retain what has already been learnt. Additionally, it’s not only summer; some students can also want assistance throughout the winter or spring breaks.
E. Individualized Services:
A “one-size-fits-all” ESY program does not exist. IEP goals inform the customization of services. For instance, ESY may concentrate solely on speech services if a student is expected to lose speech development.
F. Range of Service Delivery Options:
ESY doesn’t have to be in a traditional classroom. It might involve:
- Take-home activities for practice
- Parent-led instruction with school support
- Full-day in-person services for those who need intensive help
G. ESY is Optional
Even if their child qualifies, parents have the option to refuse ESY services. During the pandemic, for instance, several families rejected virtual ESY choices because they didn’t meet their child’s demands.
For students with autism and related challenges, organizations like Autism Speaks are still fighting for more extensive, top-notch summer learning programs.
To make the most of ESY, you must first understand your rights and your child’s requirements.
Determining ESY Need
The IEP team adopts a careful, customized approach because not all children with an IEP will require Extended School Year (ESY) services. They inquire: Without summer assistance, will this child find it difficult to retain what they have learned? The main concerns are if regression is indeed a possibility and how long it might take to catch up. Let’s examine the decision-making process in more detail.
A. What does an IEP team consider to figure out if ESY services are needed?
The IEP team for your child takes into account a few important questions while talking about ESY eligibility. Regression is the primary concern; will your students lose critical abilities during the break? And recovery, how much time will it take them to get those abilities back?
They will inquire:
- Without ongoing assistance, will your child lose important skills?
- After the interruption, will it take your child longer than expected to re-learn those skills—longer than it would take a student without a disability?
The staff may suggest ESY services if either question has a yes response. Your child’s unique needs will always guide this selection; there is no one-size-fits-all checklist.
B. Assessing Regression
The IEP team would probably take it into consideration if your child has previously struggled to catch up after losing skills during school breaks. However, even in the absence of official data from previous summers, the team can examine other signs, like:
- Has your child had trouble maintaining skills during shorter periods, such as the winter holidays?
- Does your student struggle to retain what they’ve learned because of working memory issues?
- Does your student require ongoing assistance or repetition to keep making progress?
- Do behavioral issues interfere with learning and may worsen after a prolonged break?
- Is your child just beginning to learn a critical skill, such as reading or self-directed communication?
- Would a protracted summer break hinder their development toward their IEP objectives?
The team uses these questions to determine whether your child may suffer more than other students if they miss services during the summer. If so, ESY might provide the assistance they require to remain on course.
Steps for Parents
You don’t have to wait for the school to mention Extended School Year (ESY) programs if you believe your student would benefit from them. In the process, parents have a significant influence. Your participation can have a significant impact, from igniting the discussion to promoting learning at home. Here’s how to operate in a straightforward and knowledgeable manner.
A. Check with your school district or schedule a meeting with your child’s IEP team
Speak with your child’s IEP case manager or teacher first. Find out immediately if your child’s team has taken ESY eligibility into consideration. To talk about it in more detail, you may also ask to meet. The team uses these meetings to assess your child’s growth and determine whether a summer vacation could impede it.
B. Request Assessment
There might not be data on your child’s performance over lengthier absences if they have never received ESY services. Following winter or spring break, you might ask teachers to keep an eye on your child’s progress. This enables the IEP team to use current, practical observations to make a better-informed choice.
C. Reinforce Goals at Home
Whether or not your child qualifies for ESY, keeping learning active over the summer is key. Ask the school if they can share materials related to IEP goals—like reading exercises or speech activities. You can also look into local camps or enrichment programs that match your child’s interests and needs. Even small, consistent practice at home can make a big impact.
conclusion
Some children with disabilities, particularly those with autism or learning problems, may have setbacks during summer break, even though it can feel like a much-needed respite. Services offered by the Extended School Year (ESY) services are intended to stop that, assisting children in maintaining critical abilities and advancing uninterrupted.
Keep in mind that ESY isn’t about making up for previous delays or giving your child an advantage over their peers next year. It’s about keeping up the pace and ensuring that hard-won gains are preserved. Since every child has unique requirements, so do their ESY services, whether that be academic reinforcement, speech therapy, or just regular summertime assistance.
Talk to your child about it as soon as possible if you’re not sure if they qualify. In the IEP process, your opinion counts. Additionally, if you need assistance promoting your child’s right to ESY services or are encountering resistance or ambiguous communication…
K Altman Law is here to support you because, regardless of the time of year, every child needs steady assistance and an equal opportunity to advance.
