What Every Parent Needs To Know About An IEP And A 504 Plan
Area therapist explains the difference, and warns parents not to get talked into one when your child needs the other.
By MICHAEL RUBINO, PH.D, MFT (Open Post)
This is an update with new information to an article I published last year.
Seems like the school year has just started, and the districts are already misleading parents about IEPs. An IEP and 504 are not the same.
An IEP -- Individualized Education Program -- is legally enforceable and has legal guidelines and time frames. An IEP follows a student from school to school or state to state. A 504 is not legally enforceable and doesn’t follow a child, nor are there legal guidelines.
An IEP will not stop your child from getting a job or from getting into college. Also, educational records are confidential, therefore, no one would know your child had an IEP in school.
Many schools say your child must be two grades below in order to qualify for an IEP. If you said your child had a math or reading disability, this is true. However, if they have ADHD, bipolar, school anxiety etc., they can qualify under OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS. All your child needs is a diagnosis, such as ADHD, which interferes with their ability to fully benefit from their learning experience in the classroom. The two-grade-below-level qualification doesn’t apply to this category.
Also, if you have a child in private school and they would benefit from additional assistance, contact your child’s public school district. Even though they attend private school, the public school district is legally obligated to provide your child with services.
One more issue, never pay for outside testing before the school district tests your child. They have the right not to accept any outside testing until they test the child. If you disagree with the district’s testing, then you can request an objective testing from an outside professional and you can request that the school district pays for the testing and you can select the evaluator.
An IEP or an Individualized Education Plan is a document that outlines the specialized education services that a student will receive due to their disability. It ensures the student will receive the assistance necessary so they will receive an education.
When most parents hear disability, they usually think of a person in a wheelchair or a student wIth a learning disability. There are various condItions that can qualify as a disability: depression, bipolar disorder or even diabetes. The disability is any condition that will interfere in the student receiving the same education as other students. The students who qualify for an IEP need accommodations which meet the criteria of needing specialized education. As I stated above, there are numerous conditions which may qualify a student for an IEP.
If a student does qualify for an IEP, they also qualify for Special Education. Many parents hear this and are afraid or embarrassed. There is nothing to be afraid of What Every Parent Needs To Know About An IEP And A 504 Plan | Rosemont, CA Patch:
