Re: 504 plan

[Guest guest]

A 504 plan is more of an accomodation for disabilities plan than an

education plan. What it presumes is that your child has no educational

deficits and only requires accomodations that will allow your child equal

access. For example, my diabetic daughter had the right to go to the nurse

if she had an insulin reaction in the middle of a test or a high blood sugar

and to then continue the test later or make it up at another time. If she

got sick she had a few more days than a regular student to make up missed

work since illnesses hit her harder. An ADD student might require a

distraction free test environment or extended time. A deaf student may

require an interpreter or a notetaker. If a child has other special needs

such as language instruction, special instruction by a TOD, then that

becomes an educational issue which is covered under IDEA. Even speech

therapy, if other than for articulation, is under IDEA. You'll have school

systems interpret this all of the time, but the bottom line is the

presumption that the child can do just fine with accommodations for their

disability as long as non-instructional type supports are in place.

504 plan

> The district has stated because she is ahead in academics,

> she MUST be on a 504. They intend on increasing her speech

> support, adding a teacher of the deaf, and I am insisting on C-print

> or other support for discussion and specials.

>

> Terri -

> I have been reading a little about this issue in 's law...pp.175ff.

Do you have a copy?

> It seems to me that the main difference between IDEA and 504 is

educational benefit. 504 simply states that accomodations must be in place

for the child to have access to the curriculum - but does not require

measurable goals to see that progress is being made. If your daughter is

going to have increased TOD and speech/language - what are the needs/goals?

Write an IEP to reflect the unique needs of your child based on her

disability....Measurable progress should be made through the year...even if

it is on grade level. If is behind in speech/language development

than there must be articulation, vocabulary, and concept goals related to

her speech and language....You are an equal part of the IEP team and have a

say whether or not services are changed. Go through the current IEP and ask

them for a written statement why each area should be dropped or

changed...Perhaps add giving the TOWL (test of written language) or

other assessment on a yearly basis will help monitor that progress from an

objectional point of view.

>

> Can you fill me in a little more on your reasoning for insisting on

C-print. I am not that familiar with it and have just begun to think about

what services we might need to add for 4th grade as notetaking and

discussions are certainly a greater part of the day. Our IEP is the 16th...

>

> Good luck -

>

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