Out of curiosity--ESY for the tweens/teens anyone?

[confuzzled]

really curious if any of your older kids go to extended school year (summer)....with the exception of maybe buddy's son, i cant imagine most of the kids here--i kind of feel like i "know" the older ones here by now--would qualify or want to go (unless a warrior mom knows how to fight that battle and personally wants it)......

our psychiatrist was *stupified* that mine doesnt go.

mine doesnt regress, doesnt really have transition issues any more than a typical teen for the first few days of getting back to the routine....in fact, she far surpassed most of her peers in managing the giant transition to middle school and lockers and changing all classes, doesnt have a battery of therapies through school, and etc. i cant IMAGINE what it would do for her, besides be seen as a punishment, and aggravate the bejesus out of me. our district offers a short am program--it might be 2-3 hours tops, starting at regular school time (crack 'o dawn) and it generally for a very low functioning population.

i can see why it might benefit a younger kid, or someone that REALLY needs the continuity of routine, but for just going for the sake of going???

I don't know if the psychiatrist just assumed, based on diagnosis's that its an absolute or if there is something i'm not thinking of....she also was dumbfounded that i havent registered her for DDD (probably wont qualify as the diagnosis's dont make it automatic, and there is no real reason to go down that path now) or SSI (definitely wont qualify right now as it goes on parental income & resources). everyone seems to forget that mine wasnt even diagnosis'd until 10, and i personally still think there is more to the story....and since its a work in progress, well, i have zero idea what adulthood will look like...and i dont think i'm ready to seal her fate just yet, unless there was some obvious benefit to it, Know what I mean??

maybe i'm missing something, but i was as *stupified* as the psychiatrist--but in the other direction. :-D

 

[keista]

Well, I think your psychiatrist is *stupid*. The school had convinced me to send son in to their summer classes when he was younger. Yes, the purpose was just for the sake of continuity. What didn't make sense about that was that it was only for one month in an almost 3 month summer! Not much continuity there, but whatever.

Anyway, after the first week, son was bored to tears! Mostly because the program is designed for the lower performing kids even though I was assured there would be an enrichment program for the better performing kids. Yeah, not so much.

ESY just for the sake of continuity? NEVER. You can find better, more interesting programs to keep a kid on a "schedule"

 

[confuzzled]

right???

i'm not saying she should do *nothing* all summer--but traditionally i've had her in typical, neighborhood rec programs, girl scout camp, special interest classes, last summer we did private Occupational Therapist (OT) because we needed to work some "non school, non-educationally related, HAH" stuff out...whatever. no different that the kinds of things you'd plan for *ANY* kid over the summer....

i DO have difficult child #1 in esy, so i'm pretty danged familiar with the concept. in fact, i had him sent out of district because they couldnt offer a full battery of services, meet his IEP documented needs and i insisted on a full day prog. ::LOL::

it ain't my first rodeo.

but i found the whole thing to be such a headscratcher i thought i was missing something.

 

[whatamess]

ESY can be used to work on "emerging skills" or skills that will help them function better in the upcoming school year. ESY does not have to be at a prescribed time and location-it is supposed to be individualized. It could mean going out into the community to learn functional life skills, it could mean supported social opportunities, etc.

 

[confuzzled]

ESY can be used to work on "emerging skills" or skills that will help them function better in the upcoming school year. ESY does not have to be at a prescribed time and location-it is supposed to be individualized. It could mean going out into the community to learn functional life skills, it could mean supported social opportunities, etc.

lol.

i think we should all move to your school district.

'cause thats not even close in mine.

 

[buddy]

LOL YES..........Q always goes to ESY...... when I took him out though?? When he was in 1st grade... Most districts here do not do a wonderful job of it. As an IEP team member I have been on many teams deciding for ESY. It is supposed to be individualized and based not only on whether a child regresses beyond the three months off (most kids have some amount of regression and time to recoup) but if it would interrupt emerging skills and that is often not looked at. I took Q out of one year because he ended up just hiding under a teachers desk daily. they just ran it like summer school and threw kids from all disabilities into one class and had a general new Special Education teacher with all of them. She didnt even get his IEP until a week after ESY started. The next year he got individual teaching. She was a deaf/hard of hearing teacher but she came to our house, took him to the park, worked on social skills, read stories etc. Much more where he was functioning at that time. The district we are in now runs it like a summer school too. Takes all the kids (of course I dont know about parents who fight for some unique things...just in general) and they go to one of the schools in the district. they do separate by programs though so Q is in a class (which DOES get smaller each year as he gets older) with only other CIP kids around his age. Last year they kept his same behavior team based there, hired a specially trained aide for him and he did amazing... I BEGGED for them to bring that aide to his middle school to continue the progress, but they wouldn't. I swear that is the one evidence based thing that really messed this up that they can't deny. Their own data shows that the well trained behavior aids that were fresh/not burned out were a success...he got work done and was able to stay "green" etc. but I digress.

I put the MN interpretation of ESY rules. Teens tend not to want to go anymore. The D/HH school I worked at could easily do ESY and it was individualized because we kept the same program as they had in the school year going....(we always did more fun activities though).

Most do a token amount, and it is true, it is not really something that does anything but occupy them for kids who are older especially. I personally have not felt I want the schools to do all of the services for my son anyway. I think it is important for them to have other experiences and therapies and peer contacts etc. Just MHO. I think your psychiatrist just probably does not understand what happens in real life with ESY. It seems like, from what you describe, your daughter would not even actually qualify (though many districts are pretty flexible on it). Maybe more typical summer school, but ESY??? (I sure as heck would not have wanted to go to any summer school of any kind as a tween or teen, my cousins school district they all went to summer school and loved it though--big difference if everyone goes and you are left out). I think some places any summer school has a stigma of being for kids who didnt cut it during the year.

Some children need services that extend beyond the normal school year. Such services are referred
to as extended school year services (ESY). The IEP team must discuss ESY services at the annual IEP
meeting; if services are needed, that information must be indicated on the IEP.


The school may not limit ESY services to particular disabilities or limit the type, amount, or duration
of those services. An ESY program must be tied to your child’s need for services, including, but not
limited to: the need to attain or maintain self-sufficiency skills, the likelihood of significant regression,
or the necessity of ESY for the provision of a free, appropriate public education (FAPE).

In making the ESY decision, the IEP team must consider the following factors, if relevant: progress and
maintenance of skills during the regular school year, degree of impairment, rate of progress, behavioral
or physical problems, availability of alternative resources, ability to interact with peers without
disabilities, areas of curriculum that need continuous attention, or vocational needs.
The ESY services can be different from the services provided during the school year. ESY services that
are written into your child’s IEP must be provided at no cost to you.
• The determination of whether or not your child needs extended school
year services must be documented.
• Minnesota Rule 3425.0755 provides additional guidance on ESY services.
• ESY is not the same as summer school. School districts have the choice
of whether to offer summer school to students while ESY must be
offered to eligible special education students.
parents Need to Know30

http://www.pacer.org/parent/php/PHP-a12.pdf
This is from a more simplistic IEP guide in MN....(based on federal of course so much of it is the same everywhere, MN typically puts in extra services though in practice accessing those depends on the personalities in the districts of course).

 

[whatamess]

Haha! I never said my district has provided such a thing, but they are SUPPOSED to. I was actually able to get two slightly out of the ordinary ESY requests fulfilled. My district actually has a brochure detailing why they don't have to provide summer school to certain children.

 

[confuzzled]

(thanks buddy!)

::WHEW:: @whatamess. i seriously thought you must have hit the jackpot, lol, if that was actually what you were getting.

there would CERTAINLY be the I in my district for ESY....here's what it would look like:

mine would be sitting in a corner, quietly doing worksheet after worksheet on things like algebriac equations, the periodic table, umm, they probably have her do a thesis on some obscure albert camus literature....in line with "her goals and IEP". and on the whole, she'd probably do so, with the occasional meltdown of the injustice of it all and exhaustion of doing busywork at 7am on a summer morning.

everyone else would be having a lesson on the days of the week, colors, maybe some basic reading skills.

and why, there would be socialization! just by the very nature of being part of a group--no matter if that group has any social skills themselves and would be primarily made up of boys and bodily function humor, to which she would and talk to no one anyway. (but Individual! there would be socializing on occasion!--and what USUALLY happens is that mine ends up being a teacher to one kid, or very often, the whole class--one teacher bragged she got her pos. assessment raise from the day *MY KID* taught the class)

and THERE WOULD BE FIELD TRIPS!
there would be a FIELD TRIP to the supermarket to learn how to buy something. there would be a FIELD TRIP to the public library for story hour and maybe get library cards (mine got hers at 4).

but they would SAY, well, the work is appropriate to her level (Individualized), and there is community involvement! (wildly unappropriate!) and then there would be, but LOOK, she still has meltdowns (triggered by your azzinine program!).

and she'd be home by 11ish.

so while i absolutely agree that ESY is a necessity for some kids with weakness--and buddy's deaf pop is a great example of an otherwise typical pop that needs extended services)...not so much for mine.

as for the letter of the law, lmao...i'd be fighting that battle in court for so long that even *IF* i won (see above, doubtful), she'd receive compensatory services around 40.

this is a district that pulled Occupational Therapist (OT) for a dysgraphic student because she "sometimes can"....

i'd rather take my chances at the beach this summer--she can squeeze wet sand to work on Occupational Therapist (OT), read seventeen and orally summarize the lastest articles, and not to worry anything but her ice cream cone "melting down"

 

[JJJ]

ESY seems hit or miss here depending on the teacher. Tigger will qualify this year but we are turning it down because he will miss 2 of the 6 weeks anyway due to other committments (scout camp and our family reunion).

 

[buddy]

i'd rather take my chances at the beach this summer--she can squeeze wet sand to work on Occupational Therapist (OT), read seventeen and orally summarize the lastest articles, and not to worry anything but her ice cream cone "melting down"

I think that is such a good conclusion! Really, even Q just goes because HE insists on it.

it is always just five weeks, three hours a day for four days per week... big whoop.