pI need to start working on my daughter's 504 for her entry into school in Sept. Actually, she is only starting kindergarten in Sept. at a private, peanut free 2 room school. The 504 is really for first grade next year. Being inexperienced with this and since I am not sure what to expect, I want to get a jump on it for next year. rilira, you had some great ideas in the 504 you posted/p
504 Discussion
Posted on: Tue, 01/23/2001 - 9:07pm
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I also have a 504 question. I have been talking with the school nurse and sending in articles about pa. I recently mentioned a possible 504 and she immediatly reacted with "I don't think we need that". How important is a 504 if I educate the teachers, administration, health care providers and lunch aides? Also, I mentioned an aide for my daughter during meal times, since peanut butter and packaged peanuts are still on the lunch menu, and was looked at like I have two heads by a teacher at the school, for even considering such an espensive thought. I still have four years until she starts kindergarden, but with such obstacles, I've started to plan already, but don't know what kind of benefits the 504 will offer me.
I am a strong advocate of 504's (surprise). I think even if you have an extremely cooperative and caring school it is important to have all your bases covered. You need to have something in writing stating what modifications are necc. Whether that is a 504 or another legal enforceable document it doesn't matter. But it has to be written down for accountability purposes.
A 504 will open other avenues of funding. I thought the aide would be the hardest thing to get but I was wrong they didn't even blink twice about it. I think if you educate and provide documentation of everything which can possibly happen and has happened to other kids at school this suddenly seems like a minor expense. I think the aide has been a godsend for us. Not only is she there for Rachel but she is a great helper to the teacher in the classroom. There is a little boy in kindergarten and he also has an aide. His is only for 1/2hr. which covers snack and washing up. Rachels is there for 2 1/2 hours which covers snack, lunch, playtime and washing up.
I can not emphasze enough the need for written documentation on what you want and what the school agrees to do.
Linda
rilira,
But where do you start? How do I know what I can ask for and more importantly, what she's entitled to? Well, I know I can *ask* for anything. But, I tend to be a trusting person. I'm concerned I might jeopardize my daughter's safety by trusting the words of the school and not including something in the 504.(e.g. Her first allergist said to only give the Epi if she was on the floor and turning blue! I trusted the doctor because he was the "expert". I'm concerned I might fall to something like this.) How did you decide what it was that was most important to you? I like the idea of having a aide but when I mentioned that to her future school, it was sort of brushed off with, "Well, the nurse or her aide is on the playground during the lunch recess." To me, I don't think that is good enough. There are just over 600 kids in the school and there are two lunch periods. That tells me there are approximately 300 kids on the playground at lunchtime. I don't feel comfortable with one nurse or aide. The cafeteria, though an area for concern and caution, is not my biggest concern because that is when everyone will be on the toes and on guard. I don't want to be unreasonable but the playground is one of my biggest fears. And, is there such a thing as being unreasonable? This is why I would like to snapshot of 504s that are in place. I don't want to miss something that was quite obvious to others.
Andrea,
Like you said you can ask for anything. The playground was one my biggest concerns also. What I did was show the school articles which stated how the immediate response with epi pen was neccessary and the importance of immediate access to the epi. I asked how could they guarantee that for my daughter with such a high ratio of students to adults on the playground. I turned the burden of proof to the school. I had shown them why it was necc. and asked them to "prove" why it wasn't. While I consider my daughter very mature and well educated in regards to her allergy, I do not believe that a six year old can correctly ascertain the need for emergency medication and administer it.
A 504 is not written in stone. If at any time something is not working in the plan or if you "forgot" something you can always add to it. We just did exactly that because of the way we had worded something in Rachel's original plan needed to be changed.
I would start by making a list of what is important to you. Find out what a regular day is like in first grade. What other areas of the school will your daughter be in, will others besides the teacher be supervising her, where do you stand on handwashing, eating in the classroom. It does seem overwhelming to start but literally start at the beginning.
By the beginning start with how will she arrive to school, go step by step through each situation ( lunch, recess, dismissial...) what do you want to see happen or not happen?
Just take it one step at a time and look at other plans listed on the boards. Everyone has a different perspective and you have to find what is comfortable for you.
Linda
Thank you Linda for getting back to me. Your input has been invaluable.
I wrote a preliminary 504 just yesterday. I did what you said, step by step. I had a hard copy of your 504 from this site and cross-referenced the two of them. What happened was what I expected...I got the "big" things, but missed others, and those others I thought were important but just didn't think of them.
I don't expect it to be perfect the day she enters school, but I would rather not re-invent the wheel at my daughter's expense if I can avoid it, you know? :-) e.g. A PA parent friend has a "buddy system" on her daughter's 504 for trips to the bathroom. The daughter is severely airborne PA. If Lauren were off the charts like this child, I would definately want this in her 504 from day 1. Right now I'm not sure it is necessary.
Your tips have been very helpful but I still think it would be helpful if there were snapshots of 504s on-line. For those of us whose children are just starting school, this is very important. We don't know what's important. We don't know the teachers, the routines, etc. I'd like to see what others found important and use a summary of those as a guide to help me discover what is important to us. So input from everyone is welcome!
Andrea
Interesting...
Clicking on Schools -> 504 discussion I can only see my initial post and 4 responses. When I hit "reply to this topic", I can see 5 responses. Hoping this will make my last post visible (written yesterday 2/5).
Andrea, I really agree with you. I would love to see other people's 504 plans. It would really help those of us who still need to create them! Miriam
I am in Canada so we do not use 504 plans, but my plan that I have in place is like a 504 plan. If you email me your email address I will forward you our plan.
Chris posted a plan on page 4 on this school forum entitled:
Topic: Information to help in creating a school plan
Noreen posted one also on this school forum on this page entitled:
Topic: Peanut Allergy Management Plan
Both have valuable info and ideas. Try to do a search to include the words *school plan*. I hope this helps ~ Good luck, Diane
Hi Everyone,
I too think it is important to see what others have done when creating a 504 Plan. But what I believe is equally and perhaps more important is that you truly understand what Section 504 is and its power. I cannot stress strongly enough, that documentation is everything in the school realm. If we want special accommodations for our children, then these accommodations must be stated in the 504 Plan. What I believe is vital, is that you understand EXACTLY what your rights and your child's rights are under Section 504. The best resource that I found is called "Section 504 - How You Can Use it To Get Your Child What They Need (including students on IDEA IEPs)" by Reed Martin, J.D. This manual is 75 pages long with cases cited, examples and strategies, and places to write for information that hold the school accountable. The language is not difficult, and it is just filled with incredibly useful information. Reed's web address is [url="http://www.reedmartin.com."]www.reedmartin.com.[/url] Also, the e-mail address is [email]connie@westco.net[/email]. The only setback, is that it was $35.95. However, it was the BEST $35.95 I have ever spent.
Rhonda
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[This message has been edited by Rhonda RS (edited May 22, 2006).]
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