Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional School doesn't know how to write a 504

So, DD has ADHD/processing speed issues. Last year I tried talking to the school psych a couple times about a 504 and was always blown off saying "she's doing fine" and only kids who have their learning severely impacted would qualify for a 504. Since DD is a high achiever, her learning was not severely impacted (so the reasoning went). I tried to educate the school psych but ultimately just dropped the issue.
Fast forward to this year I actually have a teacher who admits she is "slow" and that she is impaired when she is not medicated. I have an outside report in my hands, an educational assessment done by a private psych, stating that she is 2e and would benefit from a 504. I found out who the 504 coordinator for the building is (not the school psych). I gave him the report and he read it and said it was very helpful. The 504 coordinator has been there since DD started K 2.5 years ago. He told me this role was thrust upon him when he started there, and he has never written a 504 but he is willing to learn. NICE guy and so much better than the other school personnel we have been dealing with in terms of DS and his IEP--people who, if they don't understand something, just dismiss it.
But I'm wondering, how is it that in 2.5 years, no child in this school has apparently had a 504 written? What does that say about the school? It is a large school with hundreds of children. It blows my mind away that apparently no one has a 504. DD's teacher, who has been there for years, didn't even know who the 504 coordinator for the building is.
Also, should I call the special ed director for the district and ask him for help, like I did with DS and his IEP or just wait and see if the school's 504 guy can figure it out? Does anyone know of a resource I can use to make sure the 504 is written the right way with appropriate accommodations?

I would. You probably have to make a request in writing-- you can find out from that person what the procedure is.


Wrightslaw.com. See how it goes, though-- you may want to consider hiring an advocate if you are stalled indefinitely.

In our state/district the 504 people and the IEP people are different...although the school psychologists are in both groups and the guidance dept play a role in both things.

Here, 504 is under guidance and the psychology department and IEP under ESE department. If someone has an IEP then whatever needs to go on a 504 can be combined on it....for example...if they have a learning disability and some sort of medical condition like cystic fibrosis that needs accommodations then you don't do both you just include those in the IEP even though the main focus is the learning disabilities.

Someone can have a disability and need a 504 but not need special education programming (IEP). Some can need both but you just combine it all onto IEP. Some start with 504 and the move on to needing IEP.

Yes, this would be the guidance counselor who writes the 504, and he was completely uninvolved with DS's IEP. I am hoping he doesn't know anything about that fiasco (although I'm sure word gets around). I'm worried he is going to start bringing in incompetent people (like the principal or psychologist) to "help".

Ditto to everything DeeDee and Sweetie wrote. You might be able to find out what your school district policy and procedures re 504 plans are online at your school district website.

Re pulling in other people, the principal and school psych might be a part of the process - there is an initial meeting in our district with many of the same tam members who would be pulled in for an IEP eligibility meeting - school psych, teachers, school 504 coordinator and in some cases principal.

Do you have parent advocates in your area? Not paid advocates, but one of the groups that is funded by Federal $? Our local group was able to provide us it's very quick over-the-phone (at no charge) when we were seeking a 504 for our dd. we found the group on the wrightslaw yellow pages.

Good luck!

polarbear

Well, I can tell you what that tells ME, if it's even true to start with--


EPIC failure of child-find obligation, that's what it says.

Because it seriously beggars belief that there is not a single child in that building that is eligible for protections under Section 504. If they haven't "found" some kids eligible, it's because they aren't evaluating them.

Shame, shame, shame. I suspect OCR would be interested, fwiw.

Agree. Our state has a free legal advocacy service for people with disabilities-- that would be another angle to try if you don't want to pay an advocate.

DeeDee

http://www.cehd.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/AccommodationsManual.pdf
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-20071226.html (acceleration)
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/hq5269.html (hidden disabilities)

The first one is the manual for accommodations and should give you a good idea of how to write the 504.

The second one is about acceleration (in case they tell you that your child can't have acceleration and a 504)

And the third is about disabilities (in case they push for the disabilities not having an obvious impact)

We wrote our 504, but if you have an IEP, I believe you can just add the nondiscrimination 504 accommodations to it. I don't think in general there is a separate document.

Thanks everyone. One of the top people in the district (one person below the superintendent) emailed me and said she is going to call me tomorrow about DS. If I have the opportunity, I will ask about this situation with DD as well. I will also point out how odd it is that the school has no idea how to write a 504. Luckily the outside psych who wrote the report laid out a lot of examples of accommodations that should be made, so as long as the 504 guy can figure out the basic format it shouldn't bee too difficult. What is awkward is putting certain accommodations in there to avoid scenarios of things the teacher is currently doing wrong, like keeping her in from recess basically every day to finish work, not letting her finish spelling tests because she can't write the words fast enough, etc. I don't want to sit in a meeting with the teacher and a bunch of other people there, and complain about the teacher. On the last spelling test, literally half of it was marked wrong, not because she spelled words wrong but because she didn't write anything at all for those words.

He said he can attach the psych report with the IQ testing and recommendations to the 504 so anyone/everyone can see it (teachers). I wonder if that's a good idea or if it should be summarized.

DS has an IEP and the accommodations are summarized right in the IEP(not that he really has accommodations). But with DD we just need a 504.

Thanks MON. This is off-topic but I emailed DS's teacher last week and told her that DS told me that he hardly ever uses his slant board in class, he hardly ever gets reminders, and can't remember to use it himself. I have asked about this to the school OT and teacher about 3 times already, and always get back "It is available for him to use and right next to him." I am getting angry. It's like telling a 6 year old that he has a behavior chart available to use and he is free to put smiley's on it when he catches himself doing something good. What good is the modification/accommodation section of the IEP if he is expected to do everything on his own. He is 6 with executive functioning issues, and they know that since they tested him themselves.

I can see that any accommodations will have to be extremely specific or teachers will simply not follow them. For the spelling tests we will have to say "DD will not leave words blank on spelling tests. Teacher will look at spelling test when she is finished, and repeat words that are unfinished or left blank."
Her teacher read the psych report already herself and the psych specifically mentioned the spelling test issue and what should be done about it. The teacher has just chosen to ignore it.

In terms of talking about the 504 and how odd it is the school can't figure this out, I meant when the top level admin lady for the district calls me. She needs to know the school is not giving kids 504s, doing evals, etc.