Hi all. My son's dr. has suggested a 504 plan for my son in school. His teacher couldn't really answer my questions as to exactly what it entailed. The dr. just said it was something to put in place in case the need arises in the future to help get him the help he may need.

My son is a very smart precocious kid and is the top student in his class. He is not having problems in school, with the exception of his impulsiveness and inability to sit still at times. (he is on Strattera)

Does anyone know exactly what a "504 Plan" really is? I don't want my son labeled as a special needs child (you know how mean kids can be) but, at the same time, I want the resources available to him if they are needed.

Thanks in advance for your info.

Sue

My son has a 504 plan in place at school. I belive it is part of the IDEA Act. You can put whatever you like in the contract that you and/or his teachers feel would help him. For instance... I have that my son's class-work is to be modified. If she gives him a 2 pager front and back with 40 questions to be done in 20 minutes, she can forget it! It's too overwhelming for him to even try to start. I ask that she modify it by handing him 1 page at a time, cutting the pages in 1/2, and/or if he does not complete it, be given the chance to finish for homework. Modification of any tests that he did work hard on but could not complete in the time frame by letting him complete it orally after class/school. No more than 1 hour of homework a night....things like this that will help your child succeed. The kicker is getting your child's teachers to comply. That is my biggest problem. Most of his teachers had never heard of a 504 and certainly don't want to take the time to modify his work to help him. Some do and when they do he is able to finish his work and maintain good grades. If you do this, just make sure his teachers understand what modifications you want done and keep up the communication with the teachers. My son comes home all the time with 0's in classwork because he didn't finish. That is his main problem, finishing work. He wouldn't have 0's if they would take the time to comply to the 504 contract and modify his work! It is frustrating for me! A 504 really can help though, if the teachers will do it... Good luck!
Jamie

Thanks so much for the information. Now I have an idea of where to start. Either I must be really luck with my son's teacher, or you need to get your son a new one. (I think I got lucky, though)
If you don't mind me butting my nose in, shouldn't your son's teacher be trying things to help him succeed, instead of fail. I know I don't know the situation, but it seems to me that she has a plan set in mind and will accept no deviations in "her plan" for her class; sounds like she's not willing to budge. Have you met with her and the Principal or school psychologist?

Thanks again
S

Hi Sue,

Along with being the parent of an ADD kid, I'm also a teacher and have taught 12 years.

A 504 plan does not mean that your child will be labeled as special ed. It means that things in their educational planning may be modified to meet the needs they have. Any child with a medical condition can be put on a 504 plan. For example kids with diabetes, heart conditions, etc. The great thing about the 504 plan is that you can help choose what your child needs and doesn't need during the school day. For example, on my son's 504 we decided that he doesn't need repetitive work for skills that he's already mastered. It takes him too long to get his work done as it is, so all busy work that is given as time fillers is not to be given to him.

One of the BEST things about the 504 is that you have the right to help select his teacher every year. I don't think a lot of people know this, but 504 kids can have their teachers selected by who will best meet their needs. We avoided the teachers that we knew were perfectionist, didn't like working with kids that didn't finish things quickly, disorganized ones or teachers that were screamers or yellers. This can save a lot of heart ache for everyone by making the right match at the beginning of the school year.

I have a friend who has a daughter who had a heart condition at birth, she therefore qualifies to be on a 504 plan. However, the condition has not affected her learning what so ever. She's an all A, perfect behavior child. But my friend put her on the 504 plan just so she could help pick the teacher every year. So even parents of kids with no learning problems can desire that they're kids be on a 504.

It can cut down on the amount of work they're given. They can be tested on standardized testing by themselves in another room, so that there are no distractions during the testing. A 504 can allow your child to use a mechanical pencil instead of a regular one, which really helps my child's handwriting. There are just numerous things that you, the teacher and the counselor can agree that your child needs to be a more successful learner. I understand your hesitancy to have your child labeled and I asked the same questions before I put my son on a 504. But being on a 504 does not mean that he is special ed.

Our school year would be much more miserable without it.

Best of luck to you and your child!

faithinhim

Hi Sue. I understand your comments! Justin is in Middle School and has 4 teachers, well 5 including his music teacher. So it's been difficult to say the least trying to get ALL of them to comply. We have been VERY disappointed in the school he has attended this year. It is a new school in a good area of my city but is a public school nonetheless and our public school system is VERY lacking. This particular school already has a bad reputation as a "rough" school. He will be attending a private school next year and thereafter. 2 of his teachers are in their very early 20's and just seem very inexperienced. The other 2 just don't seem to believe in ADD. THey tell me all the time through his agenda book (his assignement book that we use for communication) that "Justin needs to finish his work" "Justin needs to pay more attention in class" "Justin needs to do this or that" NO DUH!!!!!

We meet with the phychiatrist once every 3 months for evaluation (meds, etc), our church's childrens ministry counselor 1 hour a week, and I'm ALWAYS on the phone with the guidance counselor at his school. We've been very fortunate in elementary school to get awesome teachers who really care. Now I guess they feel they have to "break-in" the 6th graders in middle school because he has had a miserable year with his teachers. Next year will be better! We go to church with the teacher he will have in 7th grade and she is a wonderful, loving teacher!
Jamie

faithinhim, I greatly appreciate you clarifying the 504 plan for me. Now I don't feel like I'm setting him up for a lifetime of ridicule from his peers. I'm so glad that it also means I will have a say in what teachers he gets. Right now he has a wonderful teacher. She's one of only 2 in our state that has gotten the National Teacher award. I'd like to keep it that way.
The dr. said it was my call whether to set up the 504 plan or not, but now that I know more about it, it seems like a good idea. It does seem like it will be in my son's best interest.

Jamie, I'm glad to hear that your son's teacher next year is going to be better than the ones you have now. I really believe the teacher makes all the difference. I remember when I was in school...if I liked the teacher in a particular class, I tended to do better in the class, and vice versa.

I know it's late in the year, but has the school said they would accomodate you at all until the end of the year so that you don't have to just "ride it out??"

faithinhim...my son has an IEP(individual education plan). Do you know how this differs from the 504 plan? My son is ADD w/LD, so he has qualified for limited tests, they oliminate 1 of the 4 possible answers. They give him umlimited time to take the tests. If he doesn't finish it one day he gets to finish the next. He has an inclusion teacher in every academic class ( math, english, science, social studies, etc.) She gives him study guides, she reads him the test...we are now on a plea for him to have the ability to give verbal answers.

This school system has been overall very wonderful. The only issue we have found is that certain teachers are there to teach and put in there time for the "good" students. I have one now that we have met with that just was so condensending to my husband & myself. I knew then that I didn't like her...my son has been telling us that she was a sort of witch for a few months now....TRUST your children, he was right http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Back to the focus, a 504 compared to a IEP? I have another meeting set up for the 27th, a few days after we get the results back form the behavioral optometrist appt. we had today. That is another "wonderful" subject to tell you all about http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif We will be asking for quite a bit more after reading this post. I wish I did have the ability to pick the teachers, to request a few other options you mentioned. Some of which I think I can get at this scheduled meeting, so to all of you, thank you for bringing up ideas I may have not have not thought of.

Good luck to all...and to please keep in mind that what we are going thru may seem like agony many times, but we may go to war soon, and please keep our service men & women in your thoughts. Think of how tough there lives are. My problems somehow seem to get diminished! My thoughts are with all of you in your struggles http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Susan

I think I may have been thinking of an IEP and not a 504 plan when I was concerned about the stigma and retribution from my son's peers. Now that I know what a 504 plan is, I can breath easier.

BTW, how does a behavior optometrist differ from a regular optometrist???

She is wonderful & we only spent an 1 1/2 w/her. She does everything the other ones do EXCEPT....( now comes the wonderful part)...

She explains to me this way, a broken leg is put in a cast to heal ( my son had a few eye disorders that were treated with patches and meds) but after the cast, what is the first thing a doc. sends you too...therapy(what happens after patching an eye,,they say you are okay and off you go..no therapy). So she treats the eye to relearn how to work with the other eye to be able to read, understand, and cpmprehend the material.

My son has all this information in his head that is being taught to him, but cannot get it out!! Total Frustration, depression!! Now keep in mind we have taken our son off the meds. as it was in my opinion, killing him & his spirit. I am aware that not all children can afford to do this. My son is 15 1/2 and seems to not be dealing with the ADD as much anymore but the LD. He is very bright, but seems to not be able to get his information out.

This lady does exercises to retrain the eyes to work as a team, not alone. Vision therapy. Plus she is a very sweet, cute, personable, well educated, nice, lady. I feel this may be our answer to many issue our son is dealing with.

Look up "vision therapy" on the internet, then look for a locator and you can find one in your area. Mine was 10 mins, from my home. I pray this is our answer, she discovered that my freshman son has eyes that read at a 3rd grade level. The test were so enlightning, so amazing to watch the activity on the computer screen as he read, as it tracked his actual eye activity while reading and I could see it all unfolding.

Check it out. I have vocab to help study for. Good Luck http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Suasn

go to www.add.org (http://www.add.org)

At this site you can find all the legal info and laws concernign a 504 plan. It also has alot of other interesting info. It has helped me alot. Very good links also.

My son is 8 yrs. old in 1st grade for the 2nd time and I have been fighting with his school for 2 yrs to get him tested and legally put on a 504 plan. He is currently on an academic assistance plan. I had to print out the 504 laws and throw it in their face before they would get off their butts and test him. Now that this school year is almost over they have finally started looking into testing him. He is being considered at this point for retention and summer school. Can you image summer school? It is hard enough for me to get him to go when he has to much less to torture him by making him go this summer when he sees all the other kids out playing. I at this point have refused the summer school option b/c once these tests are done then they will actually take in to consideration what I have been trying to get them to see for 2 yrs. that he has Learning Disabilities and that will change the outlook of how he has been considered all year up until now. They have to have the school physcologist do their own tests before they can as a school district recognize his had having LD problems. I totally understand that they have to do their own tests but what I do not understand is why it has taken 2 yrs. to do it. He has suffered all yr. long on a "normal" schedule that does not apply to him. Anyway sorry about the rambling but when a 504 is mentioned I get hyped-up. Haha Anyway I hope this addy helps you.

dcdragon:

If you or your child's physician make a written referral(doctor's prescription pad) for testing for a learning disability or a screening for ADD, the school system has exactly 40 school days to test him and present a psycho-educational evaluation or a written summary by a school psychologist of the results of his ADD/ADHD screening. If you do not get results within 40 days, the system is out of compliance. You can notify the state monitors. Just the threat of notifying the state monitors will probably produce results.
(I am a special ed. teacher, and I know the law)

Thanks for the link to the site. I think I had briefly checked it out when my son was first diagnosed, but not the part about the different school plans or the laws pertaining to special needs. At that time, those weren't viable options due to the attached stigma. (probably my own fear of him standing out from the crowd in a negative way)

Forgive me for asking, but why did you wait for the school to test him? Had you mentioned it to your pediatrician so that he could make the reccomendation?
My son was in danger of staying back in the 1st grade also, and that is why I brought my concerns of ADHD to him. His response was "I'll do a general ADHD test to see if he meets the criteria, and if he does, we'll take it from there." My dr. is great, but is this unusual? Do most people do it through the school? Now, my regular pediatrician is working in conjunction with the ADHD dr. and the school. I guess I just assumed that this is how it is done.
Thanks
Sue

Gee, that's a good piece of information to keep in your back pocket, huh? Although I haven't had any problems with TJ's school, I know of quite a few people that have had nothing but problems, and I don't think we'll be in this school district any more than another year or two. I can surely pass this info along.

Susan,
In regards to your question as to how an IEP and a 504 plan differ, to get an IEP you have to qualify for special education where as for a 504 plan you don't. However they are both very similar in that they allow for modifications of your child's instructional plan. An IEP actually has more services available with it than a 504 Plan, but both are similar.

There was a student at our school a few years ago that had a birth defect that left him with slurred speech and little muscle control in his hands. He didn't qualify for special education, but he needed someone to carry his books to class, modifications on handwriting, etc. They got him the help he needed with a 504 plan.

In a 504 plan, you, the teacher and the counselor as a committe decide what modifications in the instructional plan are needed for your child.

It sounds like your child has already been given modifications and has a good plan going.

Hope everything is going well with your son.

FaithinHim

Hello all http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

SCDragon....I was in your boat sort of. We felt something was not correct, but the school system at the time had a rep. of terrible time to get the testing done, along with monkeys for docs., and very broad diagnosis. SO, we took it upon ourselves to get it done. My insurance covered a vast majority of the expense. The school was presented with the results of ADD w/LD. They were VERY hesitant to implement anything. I really insisted, and they jumped on the chance to test him themselves and they sure made the process go thru quickly. They did not come up with the LD, but because we had it done by a very reputable doc. they were forced to abide by the IEP rules.

He is now in a wonderul school system that seems to work with us instead of against us. Just a suggestion, I feel it is always good to have your own testing done as you have a back up to go by, and they may miss something as they unfortunetly don't get paid as much as they desreve.

Good luck http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Faithinhim......thank you for the insight to the difference in the 504 plan vs. IEP. I appreciate it.
Good luck !!!

Susan

My son was evaluated by the school phycologist for ADHD in his 1st go with 1st grade in 2002. She was supposed to schedule for screening for LDs but I kept getting the run around about a waiting list and when it was his turn and by the end of that year hestill hadn't been tested. This year on the very first day of school I met with the Guidance counsler, his teacher, and the principal and once again I heard about the waiting list and that is when I searched out about the laws and the 504 plan. Once I took that in they showed me the list and yes his name was on it by then. Anyway they have just in the past week or two started evaluating him for LDs. They say once it has been determined that he has LDs then that changes everything but they have to do their own evaluation first. Jacob has been on medication since 2002 when he was diagnosed by the school physcologist and his Dr. but that didn't make a difference to them. I am hoping once they have finished their evaluation then things will not be so rough anymore but, time will tell. Jacob is scheduled to see a specialist in May and I hope then we can get his medication right. He is on 1- 18mg pill of Concerta right now. His Dr. had told me to give him 2 pills a day but that makes his stomach hurt so I have backed him back down to 1 again. We go back to the dr next week and I really do not know what the next step it. Jacob is also on 25mg of Zoloft b/c he not only has ADHD but OCD too. Basically he has to dat been diagnosed with ADHD,OCD,Hyperacusis, and he has Sphynoid Sinus Problems also. Up until this point I have had to fight for everything. I am hoping that once the school gets done with their testing and he gets with a good specialist things will get easier on both of us. Thanks Everyone!!

SCDragon...

Just wanted to let you know that my sons name that has the ADD w/LD is Jacob also. He is almost 16. He will be driving in about 1 month....talk about scary http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Just thought it was such a good name, thought I would share that info. w/you.

Good luck

Susan