Your child has been diagnosed with ADHD. A couple of months ago, you didn’t think ADHD was real. Now your child has it, and it’s affecting her performance at school. She’s not completing her homework, her focus is inconsistent, and her impulsive behavior has led to many phone calls or Zoom calls home. At this point, you don’t know what to do.
This is a scenario many parents can relate to. Approximately 1 out of every ten children has been diagnosed with ADHD. If left untreated, ADHD can make your child’s life difficult as well as yours. These troubles extend to the classroom as well. So, what can be done?
Luckily, federal law protects any student with a disability from discrimination based on their disability. So, if distractibility, poor time management, and hyperactivity make It hard for your child to complete their work, they could qualify for a 504 plan.
What is a 504 Plan?
In short, a 504 plan is a formal plan that schools develop to give kids with disabilities individualized support in the classroom. How do 504 plans achieve this? Typically, using accommodations. Accommodations help students get their work and learn.
What does this look like? For example, a child could have extended time on a test or the ability to leave the classroom for short breaks. Accommodations could also allow the student to take a test in a quiet er environment. In Addition, accommodations could also change how the curriculum Is presented. For example, your child could receive an outline of a lesson.
Accommodations don’t change what your child will learn; they change how they learn. It makes the information more accessible based on how the student’s brains work.
Accommodations address specific challenges. You can work with your child’s school to create a 504 plan with accommodations explicitly suited for your child’s classroom needs.
How Can My Child Get a 504 Plan?
The school will evaluate your child to receive a 504 plan. Even if your child has already been diagnosed with ADHD, the school will still do a formal evaluation. Part of this is to ensure that your child has a disability rather than a behavioral issue.
Here are the steps to getting your child a 504 plan:
- Gather Your Documents – your child must have a legal disability to qualify for a 504 plan. Any records of your child’s needs, such as medical diagnosis and private evaluations, will be useful.
- Find Out Who the Schools 504 Coordinator is – Every School will have a 504 coordinator. You can check the school’s website to find their information. If you cannot find this information on the website, ask the principal.
- Write a Request for a 504 Plan- You will need to make a formal written request for a 504 plan. You can use this sample letter as a reference.
- Follow Up With your Request- In most cases, the 504 coordinator should respond quickly, but if this is not the case, you can send a follow-up email or phone call.
- The 504 Plan Process – During this step, the school will review your documents from the first step and medical records and other records. The school will also want to observe and talk to your child and their teachers and other school staff.
- See If Your Child Qualifies For a 504 Plan – After the school has finished evaluating the student, they will meet with you to determine if your child qualifies for a 504 plan. If your child does not qualify, you can look at your options for a 504 plan dispute resolution.
- Work With Your Childs School to Create the 504 Plan – After it has been determined that your child qualifies for a 504 plan, your child’s school will work with you to create a 504 plan. This will include accommodations that are specific to your child’s needs.
What Accommodations Should Be Included in My Childs 504 Plan?
The accommodations should be based on your child’s needs in the classroom. For example, if your child’s grades are suffering due to unfinished work:
- Allow extra time to complete assigned work
- Break long assignments into smaller segments, each with a deadline
- Shorten tasks or work periods
These are specific examples of accommodations for a child having trouble finishing his or her work. However, there are different types of accommodations.
Here are four different types of accommodations that suit different needs:
Presentation: Presentation is a change in how the information is presented. This could include audio reading for students who have difficulty following along while reading.
Response: This is a change in the way students complete assignments.
Setting: Setting is a change of the learning/working environment. This could include allowing a student with ADHD who is easily distracted to move to a room with fewer distractions.
Timing and Scheduling: Timing and scheduling change the amount of time a student receives to complete his or her homework. This can include extra time or splitting up due dates into smaller segments.
Pediatric ADHD Treatment Near Me
Do you suspect your child or teen has ADHD? MYCHN offers pediatric ADHD testing and treatment. Please visit www.mychn.org or call 281-824-1480 to learn more.
Bottom Line
ADHD can affect how your child processes information and their focus and ability to complete tasks. ADHD does not mean that your child is incapable of success in school. A 504 plan can ensure that your child has the right tools to succeed in the classroom. You can request a 504 plan from the 504 coordinator at your child’s school.
Resources:
- Know Your Rights: Students with ADHD (ed.gov)
- Accommodations: What They Are | Understood – For learning and thinking differences
- Steps for Getting a 504 Plan for Your Child | Understood – For learning and thinking differences
- TOVA Testing: Why Your Child May Need to Get Tested For ADHD – Community Health Network – News Articles (mychn.org)
