Summer is the quietest stretch of the special education year, and the most valuable. Between the end-of-year IEP and the back-to-school season, you have eight to ten weeks where the school is largely off the clock, your child is not in the daily grind of school, and you can step back to assess what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to change for the 2026-2027 school year. The work you do this summer determines how prepared you’ll be when the new year starts in late July or early August in most Arizona districts. This guide is the checklist I give Phoenix and Scottsdale families to make the most of those weeks.
The checklist is organized by month, but it’s flexible. Most of these steps can happen at any point during the summer. The order matters less than completing them before the first day of school.
June: Reset and Document
The first weeks after school ends are the time to organize what you have and identify what’s missing. Specific tasks:
1. File the end-of-year IEP and all year-end paperwork. Create a single folder (digital or paper) for the 2025-2026 school year that includes the IEP, all amendments, prior written notices, evaluation reports, progress notes, and communication logs. If you’ve been keeping these scattered, consolidate them now while you have the time.
2. Review the annual IEP progress reports. Compare the year-end progress on each goal against what was projected. Goals that were mastered, partially met, or not addressed all tell you something. Make a note for each.
3. Document this year’s wins and gaps. Write a one-page summary of what worked and what didn’t in 2025-2026. Was the speech therapy schedule effective? Did the behavior plan reduce incidents? Were accommodations actually implemented? This document is your reference for the fall IEP discussions.
4. Capture ESY progress if your child is in ESY. If your child qualified for Extended School Year services, monitor and document the work happening this summer. Were the scheduled minutes delivered? Is regression being prevented? This data feeds the next IEP cycle.
5. Flag anything for the new school year. Did you notice patterns that suggest a different evaluation is needed? A new diagnosis to explore? Concerns about a particular placement or staff change? Put each one on the list now while it’s fresh.
July: Evaluations, Updates, and Outside Support
Summer is the best window for private evaluations, medical updates, and outside support that may inform fall planning. Many evaluators have more flexible schedules in July than they do during the school year.
6. Schedule any private evaluations you’ve been considering. If your child needs an Independent Educational Evaluation, a neuropsychological evaluation, an updated speech and language assessment, an occupational therapy evaluation, or a behavioral assessment, July is the time. Most private evaluators in the Phoenix area book out four to six weeks, so requesting now means results in hand before fall.
7. Update medical documentation. If your child has a medical condition that affects their IEP or 504 (allergies, diabetes, epilepsy, ADHD, anxiety, depression), get any updated medical letters, medication updates, or clinical notes you’ll need to share with the school in fall. Pediatrician and specialist appointments often have shorter waits in July.
8. Coordinate with private therapists. If your child sees a speech therapist, occupational therapist, behavior analyst, or counselor outside of school, ask each for a brief written summary of progress, current treatment goals, and recommendations for the new school year. Share these with the IEP team in fall.
9. Schedule a school visit if your child is transitioning to a new building. If your child is moving from elementary to middle, middle to high, or to a new school entirely, request a building tour and an introduction to the new case manager or special education team. Some schools welcome this. Some need a nudge. The familiarity helps your child and signals to the new team that you’re engaged.
10. Review IEP for accuracy and goals. Pull out the current IEP and read it carefully. Are the goals still relevant for the year ahead? Are services and accommodations still appropriate? Do present levels reflect your child’s current functioning? Make a list of what should be updated at the next IEP meeting.
August: Pre-School Preparation
The two weeks before school starts is when you turn summer work into concrete back-to-school readiness.
11. Send the case manager a “this is my child” packet. A one-to-two page summary of your child’s strengths, challenges, current diagnoses, what works in the classroom, and what to watch for. New teachers in fall will benefit from this. Include the current IEP, any private evaluations completed over the summer, and your contact information.
12. Request an early-year IEP meeting if anything has changed. If summer evaluations revealed new information, if your child’s situation has shifted, or if you have substantive concerns that need to be addressed before the year is in full swing, request an IEP meeting for the first month of school. Send the request in writing now so the school has time to schedule.
13. Confirm services start on day one. Some schools assume the first weeks of school are too disrupted for services to begin. They aren’t. IDEA requires services to be delivered per the IEP from the first day. If your child’s IEP includes daily speech therapy, that should start on day one. Confirm in writing with the case manager before school begins.
14. Verify staffing for related services. Speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and counseling are often staffed by contracted providers or itinerant staff who travel between schools. Ask the case manager who will be providing each service in the new year and when sessions will begin. Gaps in staffing are common in August and worth catching early.
15. Prepare your child for the new year. Walk through the schedule, the new classroom, the staff, the building. For some children, photographs or videos of the new spaces help. For others, a meeting with the new teacher or case manager before school starts reduces anxiety.
16. Set up your communication system. Decide how you and the case manager will communicate during the year (email, parent portal, text, phone), and confirm the cadence (daily, weekly, as-needed). Get the agreement in writing in your initial fall communication.
Things to Avoid
Do not assume the IEP carries over unchanged. Even with the same IEP in place, the people delivering services change. Staffing, scheduling, and implementation all reset in August.
Do not skip the early communication. Parents who establish contact in the first two weeks of school have markedly fewer mid-year disputes than parents who wait for issues to surface.
Do not let summer go by without any prep work. Parents who arrive at fall IEP meetings without summer preparation are at a disadvantage. The school has had months to plan internally. You should too.
Do not over-schedule your child. Summer is also your child’s recovery time from the school year. Plan IEP prep around their downtime, not into it.
When to Request an Advocate’s Help
Summer is also the time when families decide whether to bring in an advocate for the new school year. The patterns that usually justify it:
- Multiple disputes or unresolved issues from 2025-2026 that need a different approach
- A major transition (elementary to middle, middle to high, or to a new school)
- A new or significant diagnosis that requires substantial IEP changes
- A child in crisis whose current plan is not meeting their needs
- A parent who is exhausted and needs someone else to organize and communicate
An advocate’s role in summer prep is to review the year-end IEP and progress data, identify what should change for the new year, coordinate any private evaluations, attend pre-year meetings with the school, and stand beside you at fall IEP meetings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Summer IEP Planning
When should I start preparing for the next school year's IEP?
Begin in June, as soon as the school year ends. The summer gives you eight to ten weeks to organize, evaluate, and plan. Starting earlier means more options and less pressure at the start of fall.
Can I request an IEP meeting over the summer?
Yes, though many schools have limited availability during summer break. Most Arizona districts will schedule summer IEP meetings if there is urgency. For non-urgent matters, plan for an early-fall meeting and request it in writing in mid-to-late August.
Should I get a private evaluation over the summer?
If your child’s needs have changed, a new private evaluation can inform the fall IEP discussions. Independent Educational Evaluations and neuropsychological evaluations are particularly useful before annual reviews or triennial reevaluations. Evaluators in the Phoenix area book several weeks out, so request in early summer.
How do I prepare my child for a new school or grade level?
Build familiarity with the new building, staff, and routine before school starts. Request a tour. Meet the new case manager if possible. Show your child photographs of the new spaces. Walk through the new schedule. For some children, a social story or a written transition plan helps.
What if I see staffing changes in the new school year?
Confirm in writing who is providing each related service in fall, and ask for the schedule. If a service is unstaffed when school begins, that is a service delivery issue worth raising immediately. Schools are required to deliver IEP services regardless of staffing transitions.
How do I introduce a new teacher to my child's IEP?
Send a one-to-two page parent summary in the first week of school. Include strengths, needs, what works, what to avoid, current diagnoses, and a copy of the IEP. Many teachers welcome this; it saves them time and helps them serve your child better.
When should I bring in an advocate for the new school year?
If 2025-2026 was contentious, if a major transition is coming, if a new diagnosis is in play, or if the current IEP is not meeting your child’s needs, summer is the time to bring in an advocate. The earlier in summer, the more time for the advocate to learn your child and prepare for fall.
What to Do Next
If you’ve made it this far in summer without organizing your child’s IEP file, that is the single highest-leverage hour you can spend this week. Pull everything together in one folder. Read through the current IEP. Make a list of what changed this year and what’s still working.
If you’re heading into a new school year with unresolved issues from the last one, or you’re not sure how to prepare for a major transition, call me at 480.973.3553 or email alison@stoneeac.com. I work with Phoenix and Scottsdale families through summer prep and into the first months of the new school year, and the earlier we connect the more options you have.