Does anyone here have experience with a 504 plan?

[bdavis337]

I've x-posted this in special needs....

Please tell me about your child's 504 plan. I need to come up with a workable, appropriate solution for my current 7 year old 1st grader, and while I'm slowly learning how an IEP works via my 3 year old's needs, I don't know anything about 504's. Does it require a formal dx? Need he be on any medication or receiving any services/therapies to qualify?

What we have is an increasing need for certain learning style accomodations in the classroom, and a pediatrician who considers my son borderline adhd, but not worthy of a formal dx (and I agree). NOBODY wants to medicate, but it's very clear that he will not succeed next year w/out help. So how does this work?

[Maggie05]

I am a high school teacher in NJ. It is my understanding that a 504 plan is developed at the parent's expense by an outside doctor. It then does come with a formal diagnosis.

It is usually done by parents in our district who believe that their child may need modifications, but the Child Study Team has evaluated the child and disagrees with the parents assessment.

[A&A]

You need a formal diagnosis, but not medication, etc.

Contact the school about how it works there. They will probably ask you to bring in a doctor's note of the diagnosis. Then you sit down with an administrator, teacher, and counselor and discuss what accommodations your child needs. You come up with an agreement and the school writes that down. That then becomes a legal document........the teacher/school is legally bound to follow it. 504 plans are reviewed (and possibly changed) each year.

[trini]

Originally Posted by A&A

You need a formal diagnosis, but not medication, etc.

Contact the school about how it works there. They will probably ask you to bring in a doctor's note of the diagnosis. Then you sit down with an administrator, teacher, and counselor and discuss what accommodations your child needs. You come up with an agreement and the school writes that down. That then becomes a legal document........the teacher/school is legally bound to follow it. 504 plans are reviewed (and possibly changed) each year.

Yep, that's how it works at my school.

[Viewfinder]

Ptotection and Advocacy for 504 candidates

Federal Protection and Advocacy:

www.napas.org/



How the assessment process works in CA--wonderfully detailed. Chapter Two is where you'll find what you're looking for and I assume it's got to be very similar if not identical in other states, since it's predicated upon the federal disabilties act:

http://www.pai-ca.org/PUBS/504001.pdf


I talked to a Prot. and Adv lawyer in SF this week, really working this out. My dd has a "disability" I'm trying to get recognized because it causes us to be tardy and late sometimes, as well as absent. Dd has "episodic viral associated reactive airways disease," which acts up in the middle of the night when congesting viruses are out there, she loses too much sleep, and as a mother, I must let her sleep in, and stay home for the better part of the morning while her airways open up and she can clear her congested lungs. Doctor supports me completely, but her (doctor's) handwritten narrative statement TO THE SCHOOL describing dd's illness, symptoms and recommendations for care is not enough, so far, for her absences to be excused by me. I'm fighting that right now. The school district may have to do "an assessment," for accommodation, and then "evaluation," and there are many points along the way where the parents' input can slam on the brakes or direct the "assessing."

And the ed code says that if a 504 kid is absent, that can't be counted against the attendance funding thing the way an unexcused absense is.

This P and A atty said you definitely should have a P and A representative working WITH you to make sure that the school district does as it should.

I will. I scoured the resources until I found the legal assistance org that could help me, and she HAPPENED to be good friends with a P and A atty from law school, and otherwise I'd have never found this out.

You can research some info in the Education Code for your state. Search it online. Ed code.

VF

[ChristaN]

Like others said, you do need a formal dx, but your child does not need to be working below grade level in any area or medicated. My dd has a dx of SID (overresponsive to sound and lights), so she has a 504 for a quiet testing environment and extra time, if needed.

Her original school was hesistant to do anything and we weren't sure that we wanted to do the 504 ourselves b/c she does well even without it, but she doesn't do her best and her anxiety is high when she is feeling rushed or distracted by the noises. We finally decided to go for it this year -- 2 yrs after her dx. She doesn't receive any therapy -- therapy also isn't required.

It is also possible to have multiple labels within the school system. Dd has a GT label and a 504.