Long breaks can be hard for autistic children. Skills that took months to build, like using words to ask for help, following a classroom routine or tolerating a change in plans, can slip over a summer. Extended school year (ESY) services exist for exactly this reason. In Florida, the IEP team must consider ESY for every student with an IEP at least once a year, and the State Board of Education rule lists the factors the team must weigh. This guide explains what ESY is, how the decision is made, and how data, including data from your child's ABA program, can help.
What is extended school year (ESY)?
Florida's ESE definitions rule, Rule 6A-6.03411(1)(o), says: "Extended school year services means special education and related services that are provided to a student with a disability beyond the normal school year of the school district; in accordance with the student's IEP; at no cost to the parents of the student; and meet the standards of the Florida Department of Education."
Three points follow from that wording:
- ESY is individual. It is whatever the IEP says it is: the goals, services, amount and location are set for your child.
- ESY is free to families. It is part of a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
- ESY is not the same as summer school or camp. A district summer program for all students, or a summer camp, is a different thing. ESY might happen in a summer classroom, but its purpose is the IEP goals.
Does every autistic child qualify for ESY in Florida?
No. ESY is not automatic for any disability, and it cannot be ruled out for any disability either. Rule 6A-6.03028(3)(g)12 requires the IEP team to consider, "at least annually, whether extended school year (ESY) services are necessary for the provision of a FAPE to the student." It then says:
a. ESY services must be provided if a student's IEP Team determines, on an individual basis, that the services are necessary for the provision of FAPE to the student.
...
c. School districts may not limit ESY to particular categories of disability or unilaterally limit the type, amount, or duration of those services.
So a district cannot say "ESY is only for students in certain programs" or "ESY is always two mornings a week for four weeks." The team decides for your child.
What factors does the IEP team have to consider?
The rule says the team "must consider all of the following factors":
| Factor | Rule wording (summarized where long) | What evidence might show it |
|---|---|---|
| (I) Regression | "Whether there is a likelihood that significant regression will occur in critical life skills" in academics (or pre-academic skills for pre-K), communication, independent functioning and self-sufficiency, and social or emotional development or behavior | Skill data before and after earlier breaks, such as winter break or a prior summer; teacher and parent reports |
| (II) Emerging skills | "Whether the student is at a crucial stage in the development of a critical life skill or an emerging skill and a lapse in services would substantially jeopardize the student's chances of learning that skill" | Data showing a skill is just starting to appear, for example first spontaneous requests, early toileting success, first uses of a communication device |
| (III) Nature or severity | "Whether the nature or severity of the student's disability is such that the student would be unlikely to benefit from their education without the provision of ESY services" | Evaluation reports, the IEP's present levels, history of progress |
| (IV) Extenuating circumstances | Circumstances showing FAPE likely would not be provided without ESY | The rule's own examples include a student who needs ESY "in order to remain in his or her existing least restrictive environment (LRE) and prevent movement to a more restrictive setting," and a student whose frequent health-related absences have significantly impeded progress on critical life skill goals |
"Critical life skills" in the rule are broad: communication, independent functioning, and social, emotional and behavioral skills count, not only reading and math. For many autistic children, those are exactly the areas most at risk over a break.
You may hear the phrase "regression and recoupment" (how much a child loses and how long it takes to get it back). That idea shows up in many states' ESY practice. Florida's rule names regression as one factor among four, and the team must consider all four.
How can ABA data help the ESY decision?
IEP teams decide on evidence. If your child gets ABA, your BCBA collects skill and behavior data session by session, often across school breaks. That can be useful information, for example:
- a graph showing that requests for help dropped after winter break and took several weeks to return;
- data showing a new skill emerging, such as using a picture schedule independently, that is not yet stable;
- notes on behavior changes during unstructured weeks.
Ask your BCBA for a short written summary with dates and graphs, and share it with the case manager before the meeting. Under Rule 6A-6.03028(3)(g), the team must consider the parent's concerns and the student's needs; the team decides what weight outside data carries. School data and teacher observations matter too, so ask the school for its own progress-monitoring data after breaks.
When and how should I bring up ESY?
- Ask early. The rule requires consideration at least annually, but districts plan summer staffing in the spring. Raise ESY at your annual IEP review, or ask for a meeting in early spring if your review falls later.
- Bring data. School progress reports, your own notes on earlier breaks, and ABA or therapy data.
- Ask about every factor. "How did the team consider regression, emerging skills, nature and severity, and extenuating circumstances for my child?"
- Ask for specifics if ESY is offered. Which goals, which services, how many hours, where, and transportation.
- Ask for the decision in writing. If ESY is refused, ask for written notice of the refusal and the reasons.
If you disagree with the decision, Florida offers facilitated IEP meetings, mediation, state complaints and due process. Our guide to IEP dispute options explains each. For the IEP process overall, see the Florida IEP guide for autism.
Can my child's private ABA provider work during ESY?
Possibly. Florida's s. 1003.572 lets private BCBAs and RBTs hired by parents observe, collaborate and provide services in the school setting with teacher and principal consent to time and place and required screening. Some districts treat ESY as a separate application. For example, Hillsborough County Public Schools published a separate ESY packet for its private provider process and set a 15 June 2026 deadline to request a provider for ESY. See private ABA in Hillsborough schools and the s. 1003.572 guide. Check your own district's procedure early.
What if my child does not get ESY?
Summer can still include structure that keeps skills going. Options include summer ABA (home, center or community), camps with support (see summer camps for autistic kids in Florida), and a home routine with a visual schedule. If your health plan covers ABA, ask whether your current authorization allows more hours in summer; coverage and hours depend on your plan.
Hope Center provides ABA in homes, our centers, daycares and the community, with weekly parent training, and there is no waitlist. If you want summer support or data for an ESY discussion, contact us or call 561-337-8865 for a free consultation and a free benefits check.