Understanding what your child needs is often the easiest part of getting help, as you know them best!
However, knowing the best path to take to get those needs met is often more confusing and overwhelming for many parents, especially within an educational setting.This article will provide you with information about the different supports available, as well as helpful tips and strategies to make the overall process smoother and more direct.
A Section 504 plan is a plan that is developed with the school team to identify areas of impairment and provide accommodations to help address those needs. A good way to think about an accommodation is a wheelchair ramp. The person in the wheelchair does not need a different building, they just need a ramp in order to access it. This is the case with accommodations.Your child should not require different curriculum or lessons to be taught, but may need additional time, preferential seating, a copy of the notes ,headphones, opportunities for movement, etc. in order to fully access the material. The reason they need these accommodations is because they have an identified condition (medical or psychological) that is getting in their way.
A Section 504 plan can follow a child through college, as well as into a workplace setting because it is done through the RehabilitationAct of 1973 and is not specific to k-12 education. Plans are reviewed at least annually, if not more often. Schools are required to implement plans once they are developed.
Make contact/Request a meeting
To request a meeting to discuss a 504 plan, contact your school and ask to speak to the 504 coordinator. While some schools may ask for a diagnosis (which does not always mean a comprehensive psychological evaluation, but may just mean a diagnosis from a pediatrician), others may not require such documentation if there is evidence of a suspected disability. Ask the coordinator about the paperwork required for consideration.
What to expect at the meeting
At the meeting, you will likely sit down with the 504 coordinator, an administrator, and classroom teacher(s) to discuss the concerns and identify accommodations. Depending on the age of your child, they may also be invited.As children get into middle and high school, it’s important for them to be apart of the team and offer feedback about what they think may be helpful. It’s a waste of time for a group of adults to identify strategies that the child will never use because they might be embarrassed or it may not be truly addressing the area of concern. It’s best to go into the meeting with a clear understanding of your child’s needs and not a specific list of accommodations as schools may have creative ideas beyond what you’ve considered.
Example accommodations (this is not exhaustive):
Talking from a needs perspective is the best way to drive a productive conversation for your child. For example, letting the team know that your child struggles to get work completed within the specified time is more helpful than just asking for additional time on tasks.
More information regarding Section 504:
MicrosoftWord - FS - Rights Under 504 - English - Revised 2006.doc (hhs.gov)
An IEP (Individualized Education Plan) is provided to a child once they are identified as having an educational disability that is adversely impacting their learning. An IEP is provided through the Individuals with Disabilities inEducation Improvement Act (IDEA) which supports children from 3-21 years of age.
Eligibility
The first step to getting an IEP is to meet one of the eligibility criteria mentioned above. This is done through an evaluation either at school or conducted privately (see below).
Development of the IEP
Once a child is found eligible and in need, an IEP is proposed. It is important to remember that this is a working document and your input as a parent is critical in the development. An IEP includes many sections but can be broken down into the following:
While this document can feel overwhelming, the most important parts to focus on are the goals (you don’t want too many or it will be difficult to make progress on all of those) and the services. As a parent, you can ask fora copy of the IEP draft prior to the meeting to review and prepare questions or feedback.
Review and implementation
IEPs are reviewed annually and within a team of people that will include parent(s)/guardians, general teacher(s), related providers (speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy—if needed), district representative (sometimes principal or other staff), and special education teacher. You are welcome to invite others to attend along with you, but is recommended to let the school know who you will be bringing. Educational advocates and attorneys may be beneficial if you feel that your child’s needs are not being fairly met. The case manager is often the point of contact when there are questions about the IEP. This is often the special education teacher. If you feel that your concerns are not being addressed, you can reach out to the district level representative which may be the director of special education or lead psychologist.
For more information about your rights as a parent, you can request a copy of the Procedural Safeguards from the school which outlines those rights in specific detail. These should be offered to you at the beginning of the special education process and at meetings.
You are an essential part of the team! Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for more clarification. The IEP teams conduct tons of meetings and are used to the terminology but this is often your initial experience with the process. Going in with a collaborative outlook is best in arriving at the best recommendations for your child. If you feel like there are conflicts, it’s ok to ask to stop the meeting and resume with other staff or more time to consider proposals.Don’t feel rushed to make decisions you are not comfortable with.
More information regarding IEPs and IDEA can be found here:
Individuals withDisabilities Education Act (IDEA)
It depends! If your child is struggling with school and is requiring additional intervention supports and changes to the curriculum (e.g., they are struggling to understand the grade level concepts as presented), then there may be evidence of a disability and would warrant further evaluation to identify the nature of the disability. In order to qualify for special education services which would include an IndividualizedEducation Plan, a child must first be determined to meet eligibility criteria.These categories differ from other mental health disorders and can be separated into the following categories:
**Some categories may vary from state to state**
Public school settings are required to provide consideration of evaluations and may initiate this by contacting you to discuss your child’s progress and need for evaluation and/or intervention services. You may also initiate this process by formally requesting an evaluation. A sample letter can be found in the resources section. The evaluations done within the school setting are free of cost to all, but may take up to 60 days to complete. The benefit of a school-based evaluation is that other areas, such as speech, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, are available and can be integrated into oneMultidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) report. Another benefit is that the evaluator has direct access to the child in the learning environment to gather specific educational observations and input.
Parents may wish to purse an evaluation outside of the educational setting, which is also an option. While schools are required to review and consider the outside evaluation, it does not guarantee eligibility for services. The benefit of an outside evaluation is that the evaluator is often able to provide a clinical diagnosis (e.g., Dyslexia, ADHD, AnxietyDisorder, Autism, etc) which can be helpful in obtaining services outside of the school setting. If you decide to go through private route and potentially use the evaluation for school purposes, as well, make sure the evaluator is familiar with the requirements of an educational evaluation as they may differ.Another benefit to a private evaluation is that it may be done in a timely manner with results available to review before the 60 days often needed within schools. The drawback of this type of evaluation is that it is not always covered by insurance so the cost can range from $500-$5000 depending on the nature of the evaluation. Another drawback is that the evaluation may not be comprehensive for the school, thus requiring further assessment of your child.
To determine if the evaluation might be covered by insurance, you can ask the evaluator or billing contact to provide you with a copy of the CPT codes (these are the codes used by insurance for services provided), as well as the ICD-10 code that is being considered (this is the reason for testing-ADHD, Autism, learning disability). You can then call your provider with this information yourself to better understand your coverage.
No. If a child has an IEP, accommodations that are generally offered through a 504 plan are listed in the IEP document. A child may no longer warrant services that are provided in an IEP and may only need accommodations. In that scenario, the team may create a 504 plan in lieu of anIEP.
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