Preparing for the Summer
Robin Talley, MEd, BCBA
What will we talk about today?
 Common challenges experienced when transitioning from
school to long breaks
 Getting ready for summer
 Strategies and activities for summer
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Strategies
Activities
Extended School Year (ESY)
Summer Break From a
Mother’s Perspective…
 All of this changed last week with the last day of school, also known around
our house as "The Last Day of Sarah's Vacation." Really, who thought
summer vacation for kids was a good idea? Waiting in the pick-up line at
school on that last day, you could actually see the dread on the parents'
faces. This was in stark contrast to the giddy excitement expressed by the
teachers, who were looking forward to a much deserved three months off.
I had hoped that my children would be sent home with instructions clipped
to their book bag so that I could remember how to care for them.
Something like "Ford has his snack at 10:30," would have been helpful. Or,
"Remind Owen to wash his hands after using the bathroom." This feeling of
certain forthcoming ineptitude reminded me of another last day, a
mother's last day in the hospital, when the nursing staff releases you into
the world with your newborn baby, and you think, "but the instruction
manual is missing from this one!“
 Excerpt from “Summer Vacations Challenges Moms”
 By Sarah Smiley
Challenges for Caregivers
 Find activities and care that are:
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Fun
Safe
Educational
Individualized
Affordable
Challenges for Caregivers
 Maintain skills learned at school
 Create social opportunities
 Plan/prepare successful vacations
 Manage breaks from school with work demands
Challenges for Children
 Transitions
 Too much unstructured time
 Out of routine
 Lack of motivation to learn
 May not have skills to keep occupied, play alone, play with
others, or make good choices
Challenges for Children
 Too many distractions
 Increased access to preferred activities – video games,
televisions, etc
 Overwhelming and stressful new environments
 New expectations
What can you do now?
 Prepare children while they are still in school…
 Research camps and activities your child would benefit
from and enjoy
 Ask about ESY
 Get child’s teacher involved…get a list or information about:
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Common classroom activities
Classroom schedule
Classroom expectations
Suggestions or ideas for community activities
What can you do now?
 Start a countdown – summer break calendar
 Make cards for friends and teachers
 Talk about summer break and what to expect
 Involve children!!
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What do you they want to do?
What do they need to be successful?
Who do they want to see during summer break?
Where do they want to go?
Read Books: Pictures Books
 Read books about summer break, taking vacations
and summer-themed books:
 The Night Before Summer Vacation by Natasha Wing
 How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague
 Go Go America by Dan Yaccarino
 Last Day Blues by Julie Danneberg
 A Couple of Boys Have The Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
 To Be Like the Sun By Susan Marie Swanson
 Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
Read Books: Middle-Aged Books
 Read books about summer and summer activities:
 The Aurora County All Stars By Deborah Wiles
 The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower by Lisa Graff
 Violet Bing and the Grand House by Jennifer Paros
 Greeting From Nowhere by Barbara O’Connor
 Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford
Create Structure and Predictability
 Transition from a full day of activities offered at school to
a day with little structure can be difficult…
 Strategies to maintain structure:
 Use a daily visual schedule (even if you don’t use one
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during the school year)
Create a routine
Use visual support
Start summer-long responsibilities
Set times for activities/responsibilities to occur
Developing a Schedule
 Schedules should tell the child, in a way that he/she can
understand, what activities will occur and in what order
 Visual schedules help increase independence and
predictability
 Schedules should be arranged from top to bottom or from
left to right
 Create a schedule similar to one used in school setting
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Pictures?
Words?
Time?
Developing a Schedule
 Alternate new or difficult tasks or activities with easier
and/or more enjoyable tasks
 Post schedule in a prominent location
 Schedule choice and down-time
 Plan for unexpected changes in activities or delays
 Use it everyday!!
Visual Schedule - Examples
Visual Schedule - Examples
Create a Routine
 Plan activities that happen the same way each day
 Getting ready for the day
 Setting up daily schedule
 School related/academic tasks
 Repeat field trips each week:
 Monday : park
 Tuesday: library
 Wednesday: special outing
 Thursday: hiking
 Friday: play-dates
 Create a sense of familiarity
 Select activities that require similar skills but in different locations
 Re-visit favorite locations
Create a Routine
 Set expectations in advance
 Use visuals – simple and easy to access
 Photos
 Social stories
 Drawings
 List of reminders/rules
 Schedules
 Focus on predictability
 What will we do?
 How long or how much?
 When is it finished?
 What happens next?
Visual Supports
 What are visual supports?
 Anything that we see in our environment that gives us more
information.
 Any visual information in the environment that supports
teaching and assists an individual with understanding,
learning, and functioning.
When should I use visual supports?
 OFTEN!!!
 Visual supports enhance learning
 Use visuals to minimize control struggles
 Use visuals to increase structure and predictability
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Considerations when making
visual supports…
 Individualize!!
 Consider the client’s:
 Cognitive functioning
 Language skills (receptive, expressive, written)
 Preferences and interests
First/Then Boards
 First-Then Boards give children clear
expectations and help motivate and assist
with task completion.
 Place a picture of the activity or activities
the child needs to complete under “first”.
 Place a picture of the rewarding or
preferred activity under “then.”
First/Then Board Example
First
First
Then
Then
Checklists and Reminders
 Checklists will:
 Add clarity and organization
 Increase independence and confidence
 Encourage self-management and self-regulation
Checklist
Reminders
Social Stories
 Social Stories™ were developed by Carol Gray,
President of The Gray Center.
 A Social Story™ describes a situation, skill, or concept
in terms of relevant social cues, perspectives, and
common responses.
 Information taken from The Gray Center website: http://thegraycenter.org/social-stories
Social Stories
 Social stories are:
 Written from the perspective of the client
 Provides information the client might be lacking
 Highly visual
 Should be individually tailored to the client’s interests and
level of language
Example Social Story
 Social Story on iPad – Stories2Learn Application for
iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad
Example Social Story
Staying Safe at the Park Example
Staying Safe at the Park Example
Staying Safe at the Park Example
Staying Safe at the Park Example
Visual Support Resources
 Visual supports can be created from person photos,
pictures from magazines, drawings, etc
 Microsoft provides free pictures from Clip Art
 Free picture cards, schedules, calendars, and more can be
made on the internet
 Do2Learn: http://www.do2learn.com/
Summer-Long Responsibilities
 Involve child in assigning responsibilities
 Use rewards and contingencies to ensure responsibilities
are completed
 Select responsibilities that will be successful
 Examples:
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Chores
Academic tasks
Summer long projects – gardening, scrapbook of summer
activities
Set Times
 Set expectations for when activities will occur
 Be consistent
 Set times for:
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Wake-up
Sleep
Meal times
Routine activities
Summer Activities: At Home
 Schedule play-dates
 Have a treasure hunt
 Write a story together
 Create an indoor or outdoor obstacle course
 Play board games
 Camp in your yard
 Cook together
 Gardening
Summer Activities: Any Age
 Visit local museums – article:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2013850
270_nwwhighlight06.html
 $1 AMC Summer Camp:
http://www.amctheatres.com/smc/
 Kids Bowl Free: http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/
Summer Activities: Young Children
 U-Village Play Days: http://www.uvillage.com/village-
playdays/
 Seattle Parks and Recreation Toddler Open Gym:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/children/play.htm
 Wading Pools:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/wadingpools.asp
Summer Activities: Older Children
 Seattle Parks and Recreation Teen Calendar:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/teens/default.htm
 Seattle Parks and Recreation Summer Sports and
Programs:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Athletics/youthsummer.htm
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Summer Camps
 UW Autism Center Summer Camps:
http://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/index.php
 Ryther Child Center – Aspiring Youth Program:
http://www.aspiringyouth.net/
 Blue Compass Summer Camps:
http://bluecompasscamps.com/
 UW Summer Youth Programs: http://www.summercamp.uw.edu/
Other Community Resources
 FEAT of Washington Recreation Resource Guild:
http://www.featwa.org/ResourceGuide/Resource_Guide_R
ecreation.html
 UW Autism Center Toll-Free Information and Resource line:
1.877.408.UWAC
 Seattle Parks and Recreation:
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/
 Seattle Children’s Camp Directory:
http://cshcn.org/resources-contacts/summer-campdirectory
Extended School Year (ESY)
 What is ESY?
 Extended School Year (ESY) is a special education service
that provides services to students beyond the standard
180-day school year in order to maintain a student’s
learned skills or behavior.
 ESY is not intended to be used to teach new skills or
behaviors
 Students must qualify for ESY
ESY
 How is the decision made whether a student requires
ESY services?
 The IEP team decides whether or not the student requires
ESY services
 Without a recommendation from the IEP team, ESY services
will not be provided
 The decision is based upon three criteria: regression,
recoupment and critical learning
ESY
 Is there a charge for ESY?
 No, ESY services are free for students whose IEP team
determines they need those services
 Special transportation services are provided free if the IEP
team determines transportation is needed
 Where is ESY Provided?
 The IEP team will place the child in the least restrictive
environment (LRE) that is appropriate for the child
Questions???
Thank you!