As the school year winds down, families often find themselves balancing exhaustion, relief and uncertainty about what comes next. The final weeks of school and the beginning of summer provide an opportunity to set the stage for a smoother, more confident start to the fall.

Review What Worked and What Didn’t

Conducting a short, informal review at home can help to guide your child’s educational team in the fall. Ask yourself a few practical questions:

• Which accommodations were most effective?
• Which supports helped the most?
• Where did my child struggle the most this year?
• Were there recurring issues with behavior, fatigue or communication? Be specific when needed. For example, if your child has autism, you may note whether visual schedules reduce anxiety at home.

Gather and Save Key Information

As the school year ends, collect important educational documents and organize them by school year for easy access. This may include your child’s latest IEP or 504 plan, progress reports, goal updates and work samples that illustrate strengths or challenges. These documents are helpful when you are seeking summer services.

Communicate With the School Team

Consistent communication with your child’s school team will help make the transition from school to summer (and back again in the fall) run smoothly. Brief, clear contacts rather than long meetings work great.

You may send a short thank-you email to your child’s teachers or therapists. Or you may ask one to two targeted questions, such as, “What can we do to help my child maintain her reading skills over the summer?” If needed, request recommendations for summer supports or routines.

Plan a Summer Structure That Works for You

Changes in schedule and routine are hard for many children. Your summer schedule will likely be quite different, and that’s okay.

When possible, keep sleep and mealtimes consistent. Where changes are needed, talk to your child about them so they know what to expect and when.

Parents often worry about regression over the summer, too. Choose one to two priority areas (e.g., reading, social interaction, independence skills) and incorporate activities into play or other fun activities to help your child maintain his or her skills without as much pressure. Remember to give yourself and your child a break. You’ve earned it!

Set for Success

Information you provide teachers and therapists about summer activities will help make fall transitions faster and less stressful.

Toward the end of summer, write a short summer summary, highlighting your child’s current strengths, challenges, supports that work best at home and information about what your child did over the summer.

As you wrap up the school year, remember that the small, steady steps you take now make a meaningful difference in your child’s confidence, comfort and summer skills. You’ve spent months advocating, coordinating and encouraging. Give yourself credit for all you’ve done and allow space for rest as you enter the summer. You and your child have earned the chance to breathe, reset and move forward with renewed clarity.

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