Regression and recoupment
The team may review whether your child loses important skills during school breaks and how long it takes to regain them once school resumes.
Understand Extended School Year Services in Your Child’s IEP
Get clear, parent-friendly guidance on ESY services eligibility, how the IEP team makes an extended school year decision, and what steps you can take if you want to request summer support or review a school’s decision.
About 3–5 minutesPrivate assessmentNo long answers
About this assessment
Answer a few questions to get personalized guidance about ESY services
Whether you are wondering if your child may qualify, preparing to request extended school year services through the IEP team, or trying to understand why ESY was denied, this short assessment can help you focus on the criteria, parent rights, and next steps that fit your situation.
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What are Extended School Year services in special education?
Extended School Year services, often called ESY, are special education and related services provided beyond the regular school year when a child needs them to receive a free appropriate public education. ESY is not the same as summer school for general enrichment or childcare. For many families, the key question is whether a break in services could cause significant regression, difficulty recouping skills, or interfere with meaningful progress on IEP goals. If your child has an IEP, ESY may be discussed as part of the IEP process and should be based on your child’s individual needs.
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What the IEP team may look at when deciding ESY
Progress on critical IEP goals
If your child is working on essential skills and an interruption could seriously affect progress, that may support extended school year services in an IEP.
Individual disability-related needs
The IEP team extended school year decision should be based on your child’s unique needs, not a blanket rule about diagnosis, grade level, or program availability.
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When parents often start asking about ESY services eligibility
A long school break leads to major setbacks
You may notice your child loses communication, behavior, academic, social, or self-help skills after time away from school.
The school says ESY is only for some students
Parents often seek clarity when they hear statements that sound too general or do not seem tied to their child’s actual IEP needs.
Summer support is needed to maintain gains
If your child needs continued special education services to maintain important skills, summer ESY services for special education students may need to be discussed.
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How to request Extended School Year services
If you want to know how to request extended school year services, start by asking the school to discuss ESY at an IEP meeting. You can request that the team review data on regression, recoupment, progress, attendance, behavior, related services, and any other information showing why support beyond the regular school year may be needed. It can help to ask what ESY criteria the district uses, how those criteria are applied to your child, and what evidence the team considered. Parents also have the right to participate in the discussion, ask questions, and receive notice of decisions made about the IEP.
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Helpful next steps if you are unsure whether your child qualifies for ESY services
Gather examples from past breaks
Write down what happened after winter, spring, or summer breaks, including lost skills, behavior changes, and how long recovery took.
Review current IEP goals and services
Look at which goals are most critical and whether a long interruption could affect your child’s ability to maintain progress.
Prepare focused questions for the team
Ask how the school determined eligibility, what data was used, and whether other options were considered if ESY was not recommended.
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Frequently asked questions
Does my child qualify for ESY services just because they have an IEP?
Not automatically. ESY services eligibility for children with disabilities is based on individual need. The IEP team should consider whether services beyond the regular school year are necessary for your child to receive appropriate educational benefit.
Are Extended School Year services the same as summer school?
No. ESY is special education and related services provided because of disability-related need. It is different from general summer school, enrichment, or childcare programs.
Can I ask for ESY even if the school has not brought it up?
Yes. If you believe your child may need extended school year services for IEP support, you can ask the school to discuss ESY and review the data at an IEP meeting.
What if the school says ESY is not needed?
You can ask what criteria were used, what data the team relied on, and how the decision connects to your child’s IEP goals and needs. Parents can request clarification, documentation, and further discussion through the IEP process.
What kinds of services can be included in ESY?
That depends on the child’s needs. Extended school year services in an IEP may include specialized instruction, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or other related services needed to maintain critical skills or prevent serious regression.
Personalized assessment
Get personalized guidance for your child’s ESY situation
Answer a few questions to better understand extended school year services criteria, parent rights, and practical next steps for requesting or reviewing ESY through the IEP team.