My district does understand the term, and is giving us a 504 plan as of last Friday. But.. the email I got today implied that we are going to have to ask for accommodation each time he needs it. It's like pulling teeth. I was just told that for my son to get the extra time my will be allowed for written assessments he will have to work out with the teacher/counselor every single time. This is unacceptable, and so I am going to have to continue to advocate.
Are they requiring him to work it out every single assignment/test or for every single class? I would think that (in a reasonable world…) the 504 would state your ds is given 50% extra time (or whatever percentage is agreed upon at the 504 meeting) for classroom and state testing, and details re an extra day/week/whatever for homework (if needed and agreed upon), things like that - very specific parameters in terms of allowances and limits. It's then up to the individual classroom teacher to work out the details of how that works in their classroom, for example, if he's allowed 50% extra time on tests, it might be handled one way in Chemistry and another way in French class - but both teachers have to give him the extra time, he should not be required to ask for it each time he has an assignment or test.
My ds does have agreements with some of his teachers that if he is going to *use* his extended time on an assignment he sends them an email stating that he needs to use it before it's due. That way it's obvious he's using his extended time rather than simply putting off doing his work. That's not something that's stated in his 504, but something that the teachers like to have him do and it works out fairly well.
JMO, but if the parameters in the 504 are all clear, and if your ds and the teacher have an understanding of how to make them work within the teacher's class… then there is *NO WAY* your ds should be required to ask permission to use his accommodations. One simply way you might put this to the 504 team is - does the school make children who wear contact lenses ask permission to wear them at school? Would the school have a child in a wheelchair ring the doorbell before entering the school to ask to be allowed to bring their wheelchair inside?
A few other things you could consider offering up as a rebuttal if they are insistent that he ask each time: Ask in return - do you think the disability comes and goes, isn't always there? It doesn't go away, so the accommodations shouldn't be a "has-to-request". I'd also suggest that it takes more of the teacher's time to have to make a decision every single assignment to say "yes, you can use your accommodation" than to just let him use it. And… if it's in his 504, the teacher can't legally refuse the accommodation… so why bother wasting his/her time with having to ask?
polarbear
