Does my child need a diagnosis to get a 504 plan?

Not always. The school is looking for evidence that your child has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. In practice most schools want something from an outside provider, such as a diagnosis or a letter from a doctor or psychologist, so share whatever documentation you have. If you don't have a diagnosis, you can still ask for a 504 evaluation.

Can a child with ADHD get a 504 plan?

Yes, when the ADHD substantially limits a major life activity. Concentrating, thinking, learning and reading are all listed as major life activities in the ADA definition that Section 504 uses. If your child needs specially designed instruction and not only accommodations, ask about an IEP evaluation too.

How long does the school have to respond to a 504 request?

The federal Section 504 regulation doesn't set a specific number of days. Ask the school for its timeline in writing, and check whether your district's 504 procedures set one.

Can a 504 plan become an IEP?

If your child's needs grow beyond what accommodations can cover, you can request an evaluation for special education in writing at any time. If your child is found eligible, the IEP takes the place of the 504 plan and includes any accommodations your child still needs.

504 Plan Advocate | Help Getting or Improving a 504 Plan

A 504 plan advocate helps you get accommodations in place for a child whose disability gets in the way at school, and helps you check that the plan is actually followed. Maybe homework takes three hours most nights, or the plan you signed in the fall isn't showing up in class. Those are the moments families call me. I'm Karlie Libraro, a speech-language pathologist with more than ten years in school-based, outpatient and private practice settings. I work with families on 504 plans virtually anywhere in the country and in person in Central Virginia.

504 plans often come up for children with ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia or a medical condition like diabetes, when the child can learn the regular curriculum but needs changes in how they get to it.

What a 504 plan advocate does

As your 504 advocate, I help with the parts that tend to stall. That means writing the request, reading whatever the school sends back, working out which accommodations match what your child struggles with, and preparing for or attending the 504 meeting. When a plan already exists, I look at whether it's specific enough to follow. "Preferential seating" or "breaks as needed" means very little if nobody has written down where, when or who decides.

I don't make legal decisions for you, and nothing I do is legal advice. You stay in charge of every choice.

How to get a 504 plan

Put the request in writing. Send it to the principal and to the district's Section 504 coordinator; districts with 15 or more employees must name someone to coordinate 504 compliance (34 CFR 104.7). Describe what you're seeing, such as grades, missing work, hours of homework, trips to the nurse or teacher comments, and ask for a Section 504 evaluation. Date the letter and keep a copy.
Share documentation. A diagnosis isn't always required, but a letter from a doctor, psychologist or therapist helps the school understand your child's disability.
The evaluation. Under 34 CFR 104.35, the school must evaluate a student who needs, or is believed to need, services because of a disability before placing them. It has to draw on a variety of sources, such as achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical condition and adaptive behavior. The decision is made by a group of people who know the child, understand the evaluation data and know the placement options.
The 504 meeting. Ask to attend, and bring a short list of the accommodations you think would help and why. You know how your child does at the kitchen table at 8 p.m. better than anyone at school.
Reevaluation. The same regulation requires periodic reevaluation, and an evaluation before any significant change in placement. Ask how often your district reviews 504 plans.

The federal 504 regulation doesn't set a number of days for the school to respond, so when you send your request to the school, ask for the school's timeline for answering it in writing too.

504 plan accommodations for ADHD and other needs

Section 504 uses the ADA's definition of disability, and the ADA lists concentrating, thinking, learning and reading among the major life activities (42 U.S.C. 12102). A child with ADHD can qualify for a 504 plan when the condition substantially limits one of them. The right accommodations depend on what you and the teachers see day to day. For ADHD, these come up often:

Extended time on tests and long assignments
Movement breaks or a set signal for asking to step out
Seating near the teacher and away from doors and windows
Long assignments broken into smaller parts, with check-ins along the way
Written copies of directions and homework
A planner or daily check-in with a staff member
Testing in a quieter room

A child with anxiety, dyslexia or diabetes will need a different set, and some needs call for changes to what a child is expected to learn. The accommodations vs. modifications guide explains where that line is. If your child's ADHD affects learning enough that accommodations aren't keeping up, IDEA lists ADHD under Other Health Impairment (34 CFR 300.8), and an IEP evaluation may be the better request.

504 plan or IEP?

A 504 plan mostly changes how your child gets access to school: extra time, seating, breaks, assistive technology. An IEP, under IDEA, adds specially designed instruction, measurable goals and progress reports. Neither is a lesser version of the other: a 504 plan is built for a child who needs support but not specialized teaching. The IEP vs. 504 plan guide goes through both side by side, and if your child was found not eligible for an IEP, read what to do after a not eligible decision.

Getting ready for a 504 meeting

Before the meeting, I read the evaluation and any draft plan with you and help you decide what to ask for first. You don't need a long list. In the meeting, the most useful questions are practical. Who is responsible for each accommodation? How will every teacher, including specials teachers and substitutes, find out about the plan? How will you know it's being used? When will the team review it?

Ask for a copy of the final plan and read it the same week. If something you agreed on is missing, email the 504 coordinator while the meeting is still fresh for everyone.

When the school doesn't follow the 504 plan

Start with the teacher and the 504 coordinator, in writing, and name the accommodation that isn't happening and when you noticed. Sometimes it's a simple miss, like a substitute who never saw the plan. If it keeps happening, ask for a meeting. Section 504 also gives you formal options. The district must have procedural safeguards that include an impartial hearing (34 CFR 104.36), and you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. OCR complaints ordinarily have to be filed within 180 days of the last act of discrimination.

I can help you build a clear timeline and gather your emails and records. Deciding whether to request a hearing or file a complaint, and how, is where an attorney's advice is worth getting. The advocate vs. attorney guide explains when to make that call.

504 advocate prices

A free 15-minute call
Consultations: $150 for new clients, $125 for returning clients (60 minutes)
Review of a 504 plan: $130
A written 504 request or response to the school: $100
504 meeting attendance: $60 per 30 minutes with a one-hour minimum, virtual or in person in Central Virginia, with preparation included

Advocacy hours come in blocks of 3, 6 or 10 hours, starting with 3 hours for $360, and sliding-scale pricing is available for families who need it. See all services and prices or read what an advocate costs. Families in Virginia and Illinois can also see my pages for Virginia and Illinois.

504 plan advocate for parents and caregivers