(503) 716-8203 Email Us Newsletter Sign up
Strategies for Teaching Based on Autism Research

May Newsletter | Take It Easy With ESY

HomeMay Newsletter | Take It Easy With ESY

←Read past newsletters

Take It Easy With ESY 

It’s May, which means that spring is in the air, flowers are in bloom, and Extended School Year (ESY) is just around the corner! Valuable ESY services can help students with significant needs maintain their skills. If students are likely to lose critical skills without services (regression) or require additional support to regain skills lost when school resumes (recoupment), they may be eligible for ESY services. Now is the perfect time to plan your students’ ESY services for 2023 and 2024!

Schedule STAR for Your ESY Program

STAR training specialists bring customized ESY professional development to you, and there's still time remaining to schedule for this summer or prepare in advance for 2024.

STAR Autism Support’s unique ESY programs can fit your school’s busy schedule: Our creative rotation format maximizes learning opportunities for educators and students alike. You’ll spend mornings in classrooms with students and your very own STAR training specialist, then transition to rich professional development training in the afternoon. Teachers come away with more understanding and a boost in instructional strategies, as well as an action plan for their own classrooms, and students finish ESY having received high-quality instruction using evidence-based practices.

"The STAR trainers brought everything we needed to improve student outcomes over the summer. The trainers were excellent and really set our teachers and paraprofessionals up for success."

Cheyenne, school administrator in Pennsylvania
"In just a week of ESY I’ve seen the difference STAR’s evidence-based practices can make for my students, and I’m more confident in my implementation."

Javier, teacher in Texas

Preparing for ESY

Because ESY reinforces established school-year learning, it’s important to provide similar structures and instructional strategies for maximum effectiveness. Get a head start on your ESY prep with some of our favorite tips:

  • Settings
    Set up your classroom to resemble school-year environments including spaces for one-on-one and small-group instruction. Incorporate environmental and visual supports that students will recognize, and practice familiar routines using our small group activity and transition sequence strip templates.
  • Schedules
    Use clear and consistent schedules—refer to our primary and secondary ESY schedules for examples!
  • IEP alignment
    Consult our free IEP alignment charts to coordinate specific IEP goals with curriculum and materials for the STAR and Links curricula.
  • Summer fun
    Try this summer life skills activity to keep ESY fun for everyone!

Media Center subscribers can now access ESY resources including schedule templates, small group activities, independent work tasks, and more. Check out our ESY suite here!