504 PLAN ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPLEENE HOW TO
504 PLAN ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPLEENE MANUAL

The student had never noticed the difference, and he not does need glasses for “equal access” to learning. The other student has very slight myopia discovered through a routine exam. For the student to have “equal access” to learning, she requires glasses, an accommodation.* Without glasses, the student’s poor vision “substantially limits” her learning because she cannot read the board. The first student has severe myopia and cannot read anything more than four feet away. Consider two students with nearsightedness (myopia). There must be a significant educational impact. For this reason, students with disabilities who are already performing at the level of their peers are not eligible for accommodations, as the diagnosis alone is not sufficient to create a 504 plan.

In the school setting, a 504 plan “levels the playing field,” providing students with disabilities with equal access to their education however, the accommodations need not maximize the students’ potential.

504 PLAN ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPLEENE MANUAL

To qualify for accommodations under Section 504, an individual must have “a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.” Major life activities include caring for oneself, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working, performing manual tasks, or learning. Not only are 504 plans less intensive than IEPs, the eligibility process is simpler and usually faster. Only students with significant cognitive or physical disabilities require modifications of this kind. These modifications may include substituting regular textbooks with those using less complicated vocabulary, reducing the complexity of assignments, and adjusting tests so that they measure fewer standards than required for their grade-level peers. Examples include extended time for testing, copies of teacher notes/presentations, and preferential seating.Īn IEP may include accommodations like those in a 504 plan, but it also changes what a student learns compared to students in the general education classroom. Students with 504 plans complete the same assignments and assessments as their peers without disabilities, but with accommodations in the timing, formatting, setting, scheduling, response, or presentation. In brief, a 504 plan provides accommodations for how a student learns, while an IEP modifies what a student learns. An IEP is a more intensive intervention than a 504 plan and is not necessary for most students. An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is developed for the eligible student, as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). (The law may also apply to private schools if they receive funding through a federal grant.)Īlternatively, special education may be more appropriate for students who have sleep disorders concomitant with other disabilities. In most cases, students with sleep disorders may be accommodated in school through a 504 plan, which is outlined in Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal civil rights law that applies in many settings, including public schools. The names of the programs, laws, abbreviations, and specialized vocabulary are cryptic and confusing-sometimes even to educators. When it comes to helping students with sleep disorders, it is easy for the parents to get lost in the lingo.

504 PLAN ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPLEENE HOW TO

In this series of four articles, you will learn how to navigate the public school system for accommodations under a 504 plan. Posted by Hypersomnia Foundation on October 6, 2015

504 plan accommodations for spleene