Supplemental summer education is increasingly popular in Silicon Valley. Why? Well, keeping your child sharp over the summer helps prevent the normal regression during the roughly 8-week break. However, many children in Silicon Valley have even more on their calendar in the summer than they do during the school year. Tutoring, summer camp, classes, extended school year (and more). Should you increase the amount of summer education your child with special needs receives, or should they take the summer off?
Extended School Year (ESY) Summer Education
Many children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) attend ESY. Some students attend daily classes while others only receive speech therapy services. Some receive individualized instruction, courtesy of school district funding. Other students have parents who put them in private tutoring, applied behavior analysis, and more. An extended school year program can help your child start the next school year without the usual fall-off in skills that many children observe over the summer. Talk to your school district to see if extended school year is right for your child, but bear in mind it is offered on a case by case basis: you may need to involve an advocate if you believe your child needs additional supports and services over the summer and your school district does not.
Everyone needs down time: summer education may put unnecessary stress on your child with special needs
We once had a client who was 6 years old. He went to school six hours a day, left school to go straight to two hours of applied behavior analysis, then spent two more hours in a structured social thinking group. After having dinner with his family, he and his mother would work on academic drills until bedtime. A kindergarten student with a 12-hour work day.
There may be some children who can handle this level of structure. This particular child had trouble getting to sleep, whimpered in his sleep, was highly reluctant to start his day, and increasingly refused to cooperate. When his mother asked us for our thoughts, we asked if she had considered that his days might be too busy. He might need some time
in his day to relax, play with his toys, and not ‘have’ to do anything. It could have been a different issue—and his highly-structured schedule seemed like it might be a place to start.
Ultimately, there is no one right answer.
However, many childhood experts agree that ALL children (and adults, for that matter) need down time. It is a great idea to get our children the extra academic and social support they need. While we are at it, let’s also plan downtime, family time, and (most importantly) fun!
For more information about our special education advocacy services, call or fill out our contact form.
As parents, we understand. As advocates, we can help.