504 vs IEP

[Linda on the move]

We are having a meeting next week and it was a 504 plan but I'm wondering if it is now a IEP meeting. When I spoke the social worker (who is coordinating the meeting) she mentioned that she needed a SN teacher as well as a regular teacher. It is my understanding that for a 504 that wouldn't be the case, but that with an IEP, it would be. What are your thoughts?

I'd just call her and ask, but it is Friday night so I have to wait until Monday.

I was thinking that may be it was time to move to an IEP because then we could have more goals for my DD rather than just accomodations, but hadn't mentioned this to anyone.

(BTW, the school she goes to super and this is a very friendly meeting of people I trust and feel all want to work together for my DD's highest good )

[khaoskat]

The main differences, simply put, between a 504 and IEP..is that a 504 is a modification type of thing --- for example a child with social anxiety or selective mutism might have a 504. It would make accomodations to allow for non verbal communication in the class setting, so that a verbal book report is not going to negatively impact her because of her anxiety or selective mutism.

Whereas an IEP puts services into place, along with goals that need to be met or make adequate progress on each year. So, we have an IEP, and get services for ST, and we get some one on one daily work with the teacher on certain behavior issues that negatively impact his education. An IEP can also consist of acomodations for certain things like a dyslexic child getting additional time for completing tests or written homework assignments.

[milkmamamerina]

To add onto the OP's question:
Does a IEP require a diagnosis? whereas a 504 can be finding ways to work with the child successfully without (or prior to) an official diagnonsis?
I was just talking to our principal for next year about this, but was rushed in the conversation and feel like I missed the finer details.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by milkmamamerina

Does a IEP require a diagnosis? whereas a 504 can be finding ways to work with the child successfully without (or prior to) an official diagnonsis?

An IEP requires a dx and only certain dx's count. Austim, for example, can get the ball rolling, but sensory processing disorder, isn't enough for an IEP.

It is my understanding that a 504 also requires some sort of dx, but is much broader. For example, a child who needed accomodation because they are on crutches for 6 weeks would get a 504 plan.

[karne]

The schools can't diagnose, per se, anything more than a general LD, ie specific learning disability, which serves to illustrate the gap between potential and achievement and the means necessary to achieve success given that. Formal dx must come from an MD.

For us, the measurable goals, and the built in accountability of an IEP were very important.

[khaoskat]

Originally Posted by milkmamamerina

To add onto the OP's question:
Does a IEP require a diagnosis? whereas a 504 can be finding ways to work with the child successfully without (or prior to) an official diagnonsis?
I was just talking to our principal for next year about this, but was rushed in the conversation and feel like I missed the finer details.

I am not sure if you need a diagnosis with a 504, but you need some sort of behavior or issues that require some additional accomodations in the classroom setting to work with the behavior(s).

An IEP does not require a diagnosis, as the school district is not able to make a diagnosis. They are looking at their results to determine if the child is behind in at least one area 2.5 standard deviations from their peers (requirement for being behind in multiple areas is like 1 or 1.5 deviations behind in each area). So, we would not have to have an official diagnosis of Speech apraxia in order to get an IEP. What we have to do is go to the school and have the MFE done, which showed he was at least 2.5 standard deviations behind in his speech. But having an official diagnosis does help, because they cannot say your child does not have a certain condition(s).

Also, the area(s) your child is behind in must be likely to have some impact on the child's education, not that it has to have one, but that it most likely will.