| Are you the parent of a child with | | | | Breakthrough opportunities. Is your |
| autism or a learning disability, who | | | | child just starting to learn to read, |
| believes that your child needs | | | | and will a long summer break prevent |
| educational services outside of the | | | | progress from continuing? You could use |
| school day? Have you been told that your | | | | this as a reason to ask for ESY, for |
| child does not qualify for summer school | | | | your child with a disability. |
| because there is no proof of regression? | | | | Factor 4: Interfering Behavior behavior |
| This article will discuss the 6 factors | | | | that affects your child's ability to |
| that IEP teams must consider when | | | | benefit from special education. |
| discussing Extended School Year (ESY). | | | | Factor 5: Nature and Severity of |
| Extended school year is educational and | | | | Disability. OSEP released a policy |
| related services outside of the regular | | | | letter on February 4, 2003 that states A |
| school year. The child must need ESY, in | | | | public agency may not limit ESY services |
| order to receive a free appropriate | | | | to particular categories of disability, |
| public education (FAPE). ESY can extend | | | | or unilaterally limit the type, amount, |
| beyond summer school, if the child needs | | | | or duration of these services. Many |
| it. | | | | school districts were only offering |
| In the court case Reusch vs. Fountain | | | | extended school year services to |
| the court found six factors for IEP | | | | children with the most severe |
| teams to consider in deciding if a child | | | | disabilities, this is not allowed. |
| is eligible for ESY services. | | | | Factor 6: Special circumstances that |
| Factor 1: Regression and Recoupment: Is | | | | interfere with your child's ability to |
| the child likely to lose critical | | | | benefit from special education. Was your |
| academic or functional skills, or fail | | | | child ill, or missed a lot of school |
| to recover these skills within a | | | | because of illness. You could use this |
| reasonable time. | | | | reason to ask for ESY services for your |
| Many special education personnel only | | | | child. |
| use regression and recoupment to | | | | By using these 6 factors you will be |
| determine ESY eligibility. Courts and | | | | able to advocate for ESY for your child. |
| OSEP have ruled that this is not the | | | | Children with autism, and also learning |
| only consideration. | | | | disabilities often need extended school |
| Factor 2: Degree of progress toward IEP | | | | year services, in order to benefit from |
| goals and objectives. If your child did | | | | their education. You may have to fight |
| not make progress during the school | | | | for 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/and | | | | worth the fight! |