![]() ![]() ADHD may not be eligible for an IEP if the school decides that a child's symptoms don’t rise to the level of a disability under the IDEA. When special education is requested, the school often evaluates the child to determine whether accommodation is necessary. Services are often held outside of the classroom with a special education instructor or occupational therapist. Children with qualifying conditions, such as intellectual developmental disorders and speech and language impairments, may be eligible for specialized instruction and independent skills training. IEPs are used for students who have one of several different categories of learning disabilities. ![]() An individualized education plan (IEP) is a special education plan governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). You may have heard the terms IEP and 504 and wondered how they differed. Seeking educational support services for a child can be confusing at first. Getty/AnnaStills Differences Between An IEP And A 504 Plan The 504 plan identifies the child’s specific areas of concern and proposes solutions to eliminate or significantly reduce them. Thank you.To address a student’s needs, a team of people will typically create a 504 plan-a written list of accommodations meant to help the child succeed in school. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Read: Step-by-Step Guide for Securing ADHD Accommodations at School.Read: Is My Child with ADHD Entitled to a 504 Plan?.Free Download: How Do I Create an IEP for My Child?.It is important for parents to know that accepting a 504 Plan does not preclude seeking an IEP at any time if things aren’t working out with Section 504 accommodations. Maybe the student needs reading support, or a smaller classroom setting that a 504 Plan doesn’t provide. For other students, the accommodations under a 504 Plan prove to be insufficient. If a student does not have a learning problem beyond ADHD, families sometimes decide to go the route of a 504 Plan rather than getting into a conflict with the school about whether an IEP is required. The reasons for this are complex and include the fact that the IDEA has a funding component that requires schools to account for the number and nature of the IEPs they provide. Schools are often reluctant to provide an IEP for a student whose primary issue is attention and will urge families to accept a 504 Plan. A 504 Plan generally does not include placement in a specialized class, use of a resource room, or modifications in the curriculum. Although a full evaluation may be required, schools will often accept a statement from the diagnosing physician, explaining the ADHD diagnosis, how the student’s ADHD impacts his learning, and which accommodations he requires to “level the playing field” with students who do not have ADHD. The school will create a menu of accommodations and services, along with goals to be met in his education.Ĭreating a 504 Plan is generally a simpler process. More importantly, the school will determine whether he is in need of special education or related services (things like speech therapy). Obtaining an IEP requires that you go through a formal process, which begins with an evaluation of your child by a professional who will look at “all suspected areas of disability.” Then, your school district will determine if your child falls within one of the mandated classifications under the IDEA, usually “other health impairment” for a student with ADHD. Both laws can apply to students with ADHD and, depending upon your child’s needs, you may decide to pursue one or the other. It is important to understand the differences between an IEP (Individualized Education Program) - which arises under the IDEA, a federal education law - and a Section 504 Plan, which arises under a different federal law that bars discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Is she right? What’s the difference between the two? And what should we do?” I asked his teacher if we should arrange for him to have an IEP, but she said that the school probably would agree to give him only a 504 Plan for his ADHD. ![]() Q: “My fourth-grade son has ADHD and has recently been struggling in school. ![]()
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