Activity 5: Understanding Students Protected by Section 504
Jean Kang
Instructions:
Read pages 245-249 in chapter 8 about students protected under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act.
A. List 5 examples of students protected under Section 504.
A student with Asthma not serious enough to be a disability under IDEA
A student with severe allergies
A student with ADHD
A student with diabetes
A student with extraordinary difficulty in reading
B. Search the internet for an example of a 504 Plan. Include the link of the site
where you found the 504 plans. Describe 3 ways the 504 plan is different from
and IEP plan (double-space, complete sentences). Hint: The main components
of an IEP Plan can be found in chapter 2 and your Dennis the Menace IEP in
Module 2.
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/504-plans.html
https://assets.ctfassets.net/p0qf7j048i0q/5MaAgBDBsmCNNazydNAayE/58002d
b3a8c4ac79842873937d993b08/504_Sample_Plan_Printable_ENG_D4.pdf
The above links provided an example of 504 plan for a student with ADHA. It
includes, school information, team members, teacher education and support,
accommodations and services, and signature of the person who approves the
plan and date. The major component is the accommodations and services. For
example in this case, 4 accommodations were described as homework reminder
written on planner, keeping a set of textbooks at home to address organizational
skills, a quiet corner for test taking to address distractibility and an agreed on
gesture to address impulsivity.
A 504 plan is different from IEP plan in the following aspects.
1. An IEP normally consists of 8 components, they are.
a. Present level of performance
b. Annual goals and short-term objectives
c. Extent of participation in general education
d. Services and modifications needed
e. Behavior intervention plan
f. Date of initiation and frequency and duration of service and anticipated
modifications
g. Strategies for evaluation
h. Transition plan
Compared with IEP plan, a 504 plan is simpler, with the major content focusing
on accommodations and modifications needed for the student.
2. An IEP team must include the following members: The child’s parent or
caregiver, at least one general education teacher, at least one special
education teacher, one psychologist or other specialist who can interpret the
evaluation results, a district representative with special authority over the
special education services.
A 504 Plan team is less people, normally having one coordinator, one general
education teacher and one parent or guardian. A special education teacher,
psychologist and district representative are not necessary.
3. An IEP can provide specialized instructions in a special education classroom,
a 504 plan cannot provide students instructions in special education
classrooms. A 504 plan can only provide students instructions in general
education classroom.
C. Find ONE article, blog, video clip, other about the 504 Plan. In a minimum of 150
words (double-spaced, complete sentences), describe what you found is being said
about 504 Plans and Services. For example, what is happening in practice? What are
the types of services, challenges, successes? Other? At the end, include a full APA
citation for the article or piece you are citing.
I watched a YouTube video, Getting 504 accommodations: Insights from Parents.
In the video, three parents shared their experience about what made them to want to
get a 504 plan, what procedures they took to accomplish the 504 plan, and what team
members were included in the meeting. It serves a good introduction lesson for those
parents who want to establish a 504 Plan for their children, also a case study for
students who learn about Special Education, like me.
It looks like all parents have a positive affirmation about the 504 Plan. They all
thought that the plan would be helpful for their kids. The first parent thought that her kid
needed an accommodation for test taking because he was facing an Ohio State test. It
looks like the procedure was easy to establish. The school was very cooperative. She
went in school three times a year to see how the plan went. And they evaluated and
modified the plan every year. The parent did not describe exactly what functional
disability her kid had. But it seemed like that he was unable comprehend questions in
tests. This is a limitation of learning, one of the major activities described in the Section
504 plan (Friend M. & Bursuck, M.D., 2019). I was impressed by the smooth process
that this parent experienced. And the school seems to be very supporting in her pursuit
of the 504 Plan.
In contrast, the second parent seemed to have to overcome some frictions in the
process of pursuing a 504 plan for her child. She mentioned that she went to the child’s
physician and got the educational document about arthritis to prepare for the school
meeting. She said that not everyone understood the issue. So, she had to accumulate
evidences and materials to educate the school staff. And it looks like that she walked
extra miles to secure support from her County’s Compliance Officer, and online support
from an online advocacy group. She also recommended these to other parents. The
good news is that she finally secured the 504 Plan for her child. I hope that the 504 Plan
did help her and her child eventually as expected.
And in the case of the last parent, she also pursued the 504 Plan for her child
because of her arthritis that made her often miss school for physical therapies and other
medical treatment. She needed the plan to have her absence excused. This is an
accommodation for a regular classroom. And in this case, she commented that her child
was also included in the school meeting for setting up the plan, which we know is not
required (. She did feel that it took a lot to reach the plan. But she was happy that it was
finally made successful.
Overall, parents must be prepared to go through the relatively long-wind
procedure in pursuit of 504 plan. Many cases may demand parents to advocate and
pursue it than be given because many issues that limit the child learning or other
activities are hidden and not easy to be identified. And in some cases, parents need to
walk extra miles to get the support from more resources for a successful result. Once
the 504 Plan is established, it looks like children are greatly helped, difficulties are
overcome, and parents are happy. I believe that there are cases that are not as smooth
as these cases, they may need more effort from parents even after the
accommodations were established. It may need continuous monitoring and
modification, which also needs more input and cooperation from both parents and
schools.
References
A Comparison of ADA, IDEA, and Section 504. (2020, February 06). Retrieved July 06,
2020, from https://dredf.org/legal-advocacy/laws/a-comparison-of-ada-idea-and-
section-504/
Getting 504 accommodations: Insights from Parents (June 11,2014) Retrieved on July 6, 2020
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9WqayAXVvk
Friend, M. & Bursuck, W. D. (2019) Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical
Guide for Classroom Teachers (8th Ed.). New York, NY: Pearson
