We'll decide whether to "grant" the 504

L101418 · #1 08-23-2011, 03:30 PM

The following is an excerpt from a conversation to request a 504 meeting with the high school counselor where daughterR will be a freshman.

Counselor: A 504 is not given automatically. We will evaluate R and how she compares to her peers and then determine if she needs a 504 and if we will "grant" her a 504 plan or add academic accommodations to her health plan."

Me: <hesitate>Well she is a good student so I don't understand what you are going to compare to her peers. (really thinking: uh....whaaa?)

Counselor: Most likely then she won't need a 504 and we can add an academic accommodation to her health plan.

Me: <silent> Uh huh. <nod>. Wellll...I'm interested specifically in protecting her if anything should happen during placement or standarized tests/testing and testing and treating anywhere/anytime. (You don't know what you are doing do you cheeseball.)

Counselor: Yes, we can put that in the health plan and you won't have any problems with the teachers and if you do then come and see us and we'll take care of it.

Me: <silent> I see. When do you do your meetings? (I'm pretty sure you can't deny R a 504. Why must you torture me? Now I have to do this and that and type up this and call them <insert never ending internal mother monologue with ratcheted-up colorful language)

I didn't have the energy or the facts to get into it then. I think I'll send him an email before the meeting with my expectations. I actually have great faith in the teachers and school to accommodate R without a 504 but thought I better have one for high school. I was just taken off guard that our wonderful school might join the ranks of 504 horror stories on this forum. I hope it goes smoothly.

I called the ADA just for some advice and their office is currently closed. Doh! Hope everyone there and all of you near VA are safe without much damage from the earthquake.

hawkeyegirl · #2 08-23-2011, 03:34 PM

Yeah, the counselor doesn't understand the difference between a 504 and an IEP. Does your school district have a 504 coordinator? Because the counselor isn't really getting it. I'd give the counselor one more chance, and then I'd go over his/her head to the principal. And then to the superintendent.

mom2Hanna · #3 08-23-2011, 04:05 PM

I had similar difficulties although once I pointed out it was federal law they scheduled the meeting. I tried to make them understand that it wasn't anything they were doing wrong, in fact the school system was great but in order for her have accomodations on standardized testing, she needed a 504. Carrying a meter is an accommodation. Good luck

selketine · #4 08-23-2011, 04:51 PM

The school MUST hold the meeting if you request it - be sure to send your request in writing and not just verbally.

I would attempt to educate them on the 504 vs. the IEP in case others are as confused as the counselor. Look at the bottom of this ADA webpage for some documents you should print out: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-...ments-act.html

sooz · #5 08-23-2011, 04:52 PM

an IEP can take the place of a 504 and can carry as much weight I believe..am I wrong about this?

McKenna'smom · #6 08-23-2011, 04:59 PM

An IEP carries more weight than a 504. However, IEPs are for educational requirements for children with ADD or other leraning challenges. 504s are to make sure that the CWD is treated equally and allowed the same opportunties as other students and not treated unfairly because of their condition. If you have an IEP you can add 504 language, but you don't generally have 2 documents.

It doesn't sound like the OP has a need for an IEP.

sooz · #7 08-23-2011, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McKenna'smom

An IEP carries more weight than a 504. However, IEPs are for educational requirements for children with ADD or other leraning challenges. 504s are to make sure that the CWD is treated equally and allowed the same opportunties as other students and not treated unfairly because of their condition. If you have an IEP you can add 504 language, but you don't generally have 2 documents.

It doesn't sound like the OP has a need for an IEP.

I thought the IEP did carry more weight than the 504 and that is why I was confused. My granddaughter had an IEP because of a Speech Therapy need and the 504 was just folded into it. Perhaps it is different in different states? Thank you for your explanation.

hawkeyegirl · #8 08-23-2011, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sooz

I thought the IEP did carry more weight than the 504 and that is why I was confused. My granddaughter had an IEP because of a Speech Therapy need and the 504 was just folded into it. Perhaps it is different in different states? Thank you for your explanation.

No, they're both covered by federal law, and the same for all states. The IEP does carry more weight, but if a child "just" has diabetes, they do not qualify for an IEP. If a child has diabetes and a disability that affects their academic achievement, then they qualify for an IEP, and the diabetes provisions that would normally go in their 504 get rolled into the IEP. Make sense?

robertsmom · #9 08-23-2011, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sooz

an IEP can take the place of a 504 and can carry as much weight I believe..am I wrong about this?

an IEP is much more than 504. there must be a learning disability of some sort to qualify for a IEP. my son has had one since kindergarden for his speech impediment. my d has developed behavorial problems that impede his ability to learn (i think was his pancreas trying to shut down). the schools get additional funding for an IEP to aid them in accomidating the individual. and any health problems that need to be accomidated will be included in an IEP if they are part of or all of the reason for the learning difficulties.

the school does not get additional funding for 504 plans but it does tie the schools hands to accomidate the students individual needs.

so to answer the question YES the IEP can replace the 504 if the child has other contributing factors that will impede the childs learning to the point that it meats the goverments definition of a learning dissability. an IEP will hold equal weight for any health accomidations noted in the IEP.

having diabetes does not qualify a student as having a learning disability alone. when i asked my sons endo about a 504 plan she said not all student need them but most of her patients with diabetes perfer them because it federally forces the school to accomidate the students need when there is an issue.

so if the student have impaired learning ability during a high or low there should be an accomidation

if the students diabetes is even slightly unstable and the parent needs to intervene under certain cercumstances - there should be a federal mandate (504)

if the school does not cooperate with daily treatment or you are concerned that there will be a time that they will not - you should have a 504

if your student is lickly to miss more than 10 days in a year - concider getting a 504 started before the 10th day.

the list went on but i am not sure i remember the rest.

sooz · #10 08-23-2011, 05:45 PM

Thank you both for the clarification. My granddaughter Hailey does wear bilateral hearing aids for a congenital hearing loss and was seeing a speech therapist at school for a couple of years. I would not call either a learning disability though. I understand "follow the money" for how schools decide what to call something though.