Disability people need education too


Special Education: 6 Factors to Consider When Advocating for Extended School Year Services

Are you the parent of a child withBreakthrough opportunities. Is your
autism or a learning disability, whochild just starting to learn to read,
believes that your child needsand will a long summer break prevent
educational services outside of theprogress from continuing? You could use
school day? Have you been told that yourthis as a reason to ask for ESY, for
child does not qualify for summer schoolyour child with a disability.
because there is no proof of regression?Factor 4: Interfering Behavior behavior
This article will discuss the 6 factorsthat affects your child's ability to
that IEP teams must consider whenbenefit from special education.
discussing Extended School Year (ESY).Factor 5: Nature and Severity of
Extended school year is educational andDisability. OSEP released a policy
related services outside of the regularletter on February 4, 2003 that states A
school year. The child must need ESY, inpublic agency may not limit ESY services
order to receive a free appropriateto particular categories of disability,
public education (FAPE). ESY can extendor unilaterally limit the type, amount,
beyond summer school, if the child needsor duration of these services. Many
it.school districts were only offering
In the court case Reusch vs. Fountainextended school year services to
the court found six factors for IEPchildren with the most severe
teams to consider in deciding if a childdisabilities, this is not allowed.
is eligible for ESY services.Factor 6: Special circumstances that
Factor 1: Regression and Recoupment: Isinterfere with your child's ability to
the child likely to lose criticalbenefit from special education. Was your
academic or functional skills, or failchild ill, or missed a lot of school
to recover these skills within abecause of illness. You could use this
reasonable time.reason to ask for ESY services for your
Many special education personnel onlychild.
use regression and recoupment toBy using these 6 factors you will be
determine ESY eligibility. Courts andable to advocate for ESY for your child.
OSEP have ruled that this is not theChildren with autism, and also learning
only consideration.disabilities often need extended school
Factor 2: Degree of progress toward IEPyear services, in order to benefit from
goals and objectives. If your child didtheir education. You may have to fight
not make progress during the schoolfor this important service, but it will
year, you could use this to ask for ESY.be worth it. After all, isn't your child
Factor 3: Emerging skills/andworth the fight!



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