Is your child doing well with their IEP?
Are you thinking they may not need all the services anymore?
Do you know that a 504 plan is another way for a student with a disability to get accommodations in school?
You probably know that an IEP is a formal document that describes a student’s goals and the specialized services they get from the school. It also may include accommodations, which are changes in the classroom setting to remove barriers to learning.
A 504 plan also describes a student’s accommodations but does not include specialized instruction, like working with a special education teacher or reading or math specialist. 504 plans can include related services like speech therapy, PT (physical therapy) or OT (occupational therapy), but this is not as common as getting them through an IEP.
504 v IEP: What’s the difference?
Can you transition from an IEP to a 504 plan?
Yes you can! But you should think carefully before you do. A 504 plan is less intensive, less formal and doesn’t include specialized instruction. It still provides support for students with disabilities, but you must be sure that it has enough support for your child.
Why switch from an IEP to a 504?
Many students who have IEPs are able to learn new strategies for learning and incorporate them into their schooling. After some time with the IEP services, some students may catch up and no longer need the services in order to make consistent progress in school.
Specialized instruction…related services…accommodations: which does your child need?
My son worked with a reading specialist and an organizational coach from 2nd grade through 5th. They helped him to get caught up in his reading skills, and better manage his ADHD. These are called “specialized instruction,” and are only included in an IEP. He also got services from an occupational therapist to help with his handwriting, which was completely unreadable. Therapies like OT, PT and speech, are called “related services.”
By the time he went to middle school, we all decided – after careful thought – that he could manage the regular curriculum without the extra services. But he still needed accommodations like extra time on tests and frequent breaks throughout the day. (He also had an accommodation letting him use a keyboard, even as early as 2nd grade before it was universal in elementary school. That took a lot of pressure off his writing and helped his self-esteem!)
So in his case, switching from an IEP to a 504 made sense. The 504 still ensured his accommodations, but he no longer needed the pull-out services. And this was a benefit: with less time out of the classroom, he had more time to get the regular instruction with his peers.
Should a student with ADHD have a 504 or IEP?
The answer depends on how your child’s ADHD affects their learning in school. Some kids with ADHD or ADD do well without specialized instruction. In many cases, accommodations in the classroom are enough to lower the barriers for them and let them make consistent progress with the regular curriculum. And a 504 plan covers the accommodations.
On the other hand, many kids with ADHD also have other learning challenges. They may need an IEP to get specialized instruction like reading or math specialists, or therapies like speech, OT or PT. Even if a child doesn’t have a specific learning or physical disability, they may have gotten behind on foundational skills because of their ADHD.
Here are some accommodations that are helpful for students with ADHD:
- Frequent breaks: to sustain their focus throughout the day
- A desk up front, or sound-blocking headphones for independent work: to minimize distractions
- Extra time for tests or assignments
- Graphic organizers to help manage concepts and assignments
- Large assignments broken down into small chunks with a series of due dates
- Notes or note-takers, especially for older students: so they can focus on listening
Is there a downside to having a 504 plan?
As long as the 504 plan meets your child’s needs, it should be enough. But if their needs change and they need the extra support of an IEP again, you’d have to go through the whole evaluation process again to go back to an IEP. It’s easier to add or change services on an existing IEP than to go through the process again.
A 504 is less formal and structured than an IEP, and is governed by a different law. There are fewer protections than what IEPs formally require, like a timeline, regular progress reports and annual meetings. Although you should have annual meetings for a 504 plan, schools don’t always follow up. The accommodations from 504s also sometimes slip through the cracks more than IEP services. (Schools have a lot on their plate! They do what they can, but may need some reminding.)
This means that parents and caregivers need to stay on top of it. Make sure your child is consistently getting the accommodations, and ask for a meeting every year, or more often if you like.
If you’re wondering about switching from an IEP to a 504 plan, talk to the IEP team and the classroom teacher. Look carefully at your child’s progress, and think about how the services and accommodations are working for them. Can they do as well without the specialized instruction? It all comes down to individual needs!
