Two of the most important tools schools can offer to assist struggling students are Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, and 504 plans. These federally mandated programs could help your child get the in-school support they need to succeed. But to make one of them work for your child, it is important to understand the differences between IEPs and 504s and determine which is more appropriate for your child.
“This is a really important time of year,” says Lawrence Kloth, co-founder of Reading Success Plus. “If you are thinking of an IEP or 504 plan, get started as soon as possible. It can be a long and complicated process involving meetings and paperwork. You don’t want to wait until November or December because the schools are going to be jam-packed with cases then.”
Your first task is to learn the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan.
“IEPs are about specialized, individual services,” Lawrence says. “The law limits IEPs to those with specific disabilities, and they don’t focus on the general classroom. A 504 plan won’t provide those kinds of services, but they have less restrictive eligibility requirements and are intended to provide help in the general classroom. It may seem like 504s offer less help, but if your student doesn’t need the intensive services, a 504 may be just what they need to make school easier. It’s all about what help the student needs.”
Following is a more detailed explanation of the differences between Individualized Education Programs and 504 plans. This draws heavily from two web articles, one from Understood.org and the other from specialedresource.com.
What are the laws?
IEPs were created by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a special law. All public schools, traditional and charter, are required to offer IEPs. Private schools are not.
The 504 plans are covered by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal civil rights law that protects from discrimination. The plans must be offered by all public schools, traditional and charter, as well as private schools that receive federal funds.
What’s the purpose?
An IEP details the special education services the school will provide to meet the individual needs of a student with a disability. This can include specialized instruction, accommodations, and services such as speech therapy.
The 504 plan is intended to remove barriers to a student with a disability so they can better learn alongside their peers in a general education classroom. It doesn’t include specially designed instruction. The goal is to provide equitable access to education within the general curriculum.
Eligibility
An IEP requires a detailed evaluation. To get an IEP, a student must have one of 13 recognized disabilities, and the disability must affect the student’s educational performance.
Section 504 has a much broader definition of disability. Conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, or chronic illness might qualify. Basically, a child with any condition that interferes with their ability to learn is eligible for a 504 plan.
What is provided
504 plans are intended for students who can function in a general education classroom but would benefit certain accommodations. Those could include extra time for testing; preferential seating; sensory breaks; assistive technology; a reader to read the material to the student or a scribe to do the writing; alternative test formats; or counseling to help with social skills or emotional regulation. They do not include specialized instruction.
An IEP could include any of the accommodations provided by a 504 plan. But it would also include specialized services and individualized instruction. It also could include specialized services such as speech or occupational therapy; a self-contained classroom; and materials specific to a disability, such as braille materials, audiobooks for a student with dyslexia, or sign language interpreters.
Creating, tracking the plan
An IEP is a detailed written plan which specifies in detail the services that the school will provide; accommodations and assistive technology; and any changes to what the student is expected to learn and know. It will explain how the student will be involved in general education classes and school activities. The student’s progress must be tracked with measurable goals.
The 504 plan is less formal; it isn’t required to be put in writing, though that is accepted as best practice. The plans generally include accommodations, assistive technology, and changes to what the student is expected to learn. 504 plans often do not track progress or include annual goals.
Assembling the plan
The team that created the IEP must include the student’s parent or caregiver; a general education teacher; a special education teacher; a school psychologist or another specialist who can interpret evaluation results; and a district representative with the authority to approve resources for the student. The parent must consent in writing to the evaluation and again before providing the services in the IEP. The team must review the IEP once a year.
The rules for putting together a 504 plan are less detailed. The team may include the parent or caregiver; general and special education teachers; and the principal. The parent’s consent is required for a student evaluation. The plan usually is reviewed annually.
After high school
A 504 plan can continue into adulthood, and because it originates in an antidiscrimination law, it often will apply in the workforce or college. The college may call it by a name other than 504 plan, but almost all schools offer some accommodations and have resources devoted to students with disabilities. However, students must advocate for themselves and request accommodations.
Facing the meeting
Once parents decide to seek a 504 or IEP, their next big step is a meeting with school representatives to draw up the plan. That likely will be an intimidating and bewildering experience for the parents unless they come in prepared. What does prepared mean? Lawrence lays out this advice.
- Understand the process: Learn the basics of what an IEP or 504 plans are. Know what the laws require and the limits of what you can reasonably request. Try to learn the language; you might hear a lot of educational jargon, especially if you’re seeking highly individualized programs. Don’t feel intimidated or “stupid” — it’s just the specialized language that educators use, so ask as many questions as you need. Everyone involved wants you to understand what is going on before the plan is implemented.
- Know your student: As specifically as possible, be aware of the child’s weaknesses that you want addressed. Does your child have any disabilities, suspected or already diagnosed? What accommodations or programming are you interested in? What goals do you have for your child? Can you get advice from a trusted previous teacher? You don’t have to come up with a plan of your own – the professionals will do that – but try to understand the options.
- Bring along support: Consider hiring an educational advocate to represent you and accompany you to the meeting. An educational advocate is an independent expert, often a psychologist or experienced educator, who will represent your interests when dealing with the school. Anne Kloth, the other co-founder of Reading Success Plus, often represents families in that capacity.
“Not everyone wants or needs an advocate,” Lawrence says. “But it can offer some peace of mind, and I would highly recommend it. It’s like bringing a lawyer to court. You would never say, ‘I’m going to represent myself if court.’ You don’t have the expertise, so you hire someone who does.”
Don’t carry that analogy too far, however. There is no reason to hire a lawyer unless you are considering a lawsuit, and that would only be a last resort, not an early step in drawing up an IEP or 504 plan.
Everyone is on the same team
Lawrence cautions against making the process adversarial.
“Going in with a negative, me vs. you attitude does nobody any good. Don’t play the blame game — ‘Why aren’t you doing more to help my child? Nobody at this school even cares.’ Is that going to be more productive than cooperation? Of course not. Who wants that ugliness?”
In contrast, Lawrence recommends building a long-term, positive relationship with the school, teachers and principal.
“My mom was very involved in school and did a lot of volunteering. It’s a chance to build person-to-person relationships. People in the school see that you care. And when you need something from the school, they will remember you as someone who is committed, not just someone who shows up to complain.”
Preparation eases the stress
Going through the process of requesting an IEP or 504 plan for your child can be stressful, confusing, and intimidating. But you can ease all those emotions by researching the process, understanding what accommodations and services are appropriate and available, and, if you desire, hiring an advocate to represent you.
Reading Success Plus is happy to help you with any of these steps, sharing our professional and personal experiences. (Lawrence, who has dyslexia, had a 504 plan in high school, so both he and Anne have first-hand understanding of the process.) With a bit of knowledge and a positive attitude, the IEP or 504 process will be the first step in helping your child to a more positive and productive school experience.
Reading Success Plus has offices in Grand Rapids and Troy and offers one-on-one tutoring online or in person in reading, math and writing. You can get more information at readingsuccessplus.com. To contact us, call 833-229-1112 or go online to https://readingsuccessplus.com/#contact.