You clicked Leave on Zoom after the IEP meeting, and something about it still didn’t feel right.
 

You can't quite name it. It's just that ESY got mentioned and then it was already settled, dates, times, a building they weren't even sure of yet, and somehow the conversation moved on before you had a chance to say anything. 

Or maybe you said thanks but no thanks to what they offered because you knew, you just knew, it wasn't going to help your child. 

Or maybe you were told your child doesn't even qualify, and you're still turning that over, trying to figure out what it would actually take.
 

That icky feeling? It means something. It means your instincts are working.
 

When my son Dylan was in elementary school, his ESY services didn't look like anything the district had on a schedule. His SLP, the same one he worked with all year, took him on walks to 7-Eleven. 

They went to the playground when other kids were there. They worked on articulation in the middle of real conversations, with real people, in real places. No table. No flashcards. Just life.
 

It worked. And it was only possible because we sat at that IEP table and said: what other options could we consider?
 

That question, and the pause that follows it, can change the whole direction of an ESY conversation. 

Because here's what most parents aren't told: federal regulations are clear that a district cannot unilaterally decide the type, amount, or duration of ESY services. They cannot walk in with a program already set and hand it to you as a done deal. 

ESY isn't only for students with significant cognitive disabilities. It isn't limited to summer. 

And it is not just about regression.

We need to look at individualized ESY services, not a district ESY program. That word choice matters.
 

One of the questions you can bring to your next meeting is this: I understand that's what the district typically offers. I'm just wondering what other options we could consider. Then stop talking. Wait. 

You're expecting an answer, and the silence is what holds the team accountable to give you one.
 

There are parents who've sat in that exact chair, convinced the district had already made up their mind, and walked out with something genuinely built around their child. 

A reading specialist who came to the home. 

A para who spent the summer at the YMCA, supporting a student working on social language with real peers. 

It can happen. And if it's happened for one family, it can happen for yours.

Catch the replay, click the video below. 
 

AND I put together an ESY guide with the specific language, and questions you can use in your next ESY meeting. Would you like it?
 

Your instincts about your child are not wrong. The next step is knowing what to do with them. And that’s exactly where this week’s The Art of AI Advocacy Tip™ comes in.
 

The Art of AI Advocacy™ Tip of the Week

Turn Your Gut Feeling Into Action With AI

If the ESY conversation left you thinking, something about that didn’t feel right, try using AI to turn that concern into better questions.
 

Use a prompt like this:

You are an experienced special education advocate with expertise in ESY under IDEA. My child’s school proposed this ESY plan: [paste details]. My concerns are: [paste concerns]. Help me identify what may need clarification and write 5 calm, collaborative questions I can ask at the next IEP meeting.

Use AI as a thinking partner, not the final decision-maker. Before taking those questions into a meeting or email, make sure they sound like you and accurately reflect your concerns about the ESY plan.

Here's to a terrific week of possibilities!