What exactly is the diff. b/w IEP & 504?
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| Wed, 10-05-2005 - 1:51pm |
My DS has Aspergers Syndrome. He's had an IEP since he was 2 years old, and is now 7 1/2. He is doing well academically at school (meeting grade level expectations), but has a hard time with social aspects, which can be disruptive to the class as well as himself.
His Asst.Principal is desperately trying to get me to put him on a 504 instead of an IEP.
His neurologist told me to NEVER do that. He said if we do, he will get lost in the system, and IEP forces the school to acknowledge his needs and work with him if any issues come up, whereas a 504 simply labels his issues, but that's about it. That if we went to a 504, and later down the line he needed assistance again it would be a huge struggle to re-implement an IEP.
His Asst.Principal said that if he continues to do well academically, we will have to get him off the IEP.
My understanding is they cannot remove his IEP without our written consent, and that we can chose to keep it active under observational purposes only until he needs further assistance.
Any of you wise in the ways of the special ed maze?

There are no doubt people better qualified than me here to answer this, but if I were you I would run over to the iVillage IEP/504 board and ask Steph, the IEP Goddess, she-who-knows-all.
I would tend to agree with your neurologist, academic success is great, but there are other reasons for staying on an IEP. Academic Success is NOT the qualifier.
Anyways, Steph and the other knowledgable ladies at IEP will know for sure!
yours,
Sara
ilovemalcolm
Oh where oh where is Steph?!?!
I'm in agreement with the neuro too. Never, EVER give up your IEP. Steph can explain it better than I can, but the reality is IEP's are not solely based on "academic achievement" -they relate to ALL aspects of the child's education and social issues are a huge part of the picture. My children are perfect examples of this...both do incredibly well academically, but the social problems are major.
I'm not sure where you are geographically, and I don't know the size of the school district, but is very possible that the assistant principal is not truly familiar with the law. Administators tend to get "chunks" of information, and not the entire picture. If this individual is well informed, then it sounds like they are trying to scare you into agreement.
Just my two cents...hope Steph find you soon!
Amy W.
This is not official, just my view of the world; but the easiest way to think of the basic difference is personnel needed.
If a kid need any extra time from *people* (who will need to be paid): Speech therapist, occupational therapist, aide, special ed teacher, resource room, learning center, scribe, physical therapist -you get he picture, then they need an IEP because the are getting soemones additional paid time.
However if a child can reach his academic potential and function in the classroom without extra people but with extra *accomodations* and a maybe just little extra attention from his regular ed teacher, then in theory, he doesn't need an IEP, just a 504 accomodation plan. A 504 may include things like reading test instructions aloud to him, allowing extra time for tests, always making sure he has a seat upfront, allowing him to take tests in a small room etc etc.
It is all great in theory. In *practice*, most 504 plans are not worth the paper they are written on (of course; regions, districts and schools vary). I *think* (someone correct me if I am wrong) it is because the might of IDEA is not as firmly behind a 504 as it is an IEP, and of course, it is just generally tougher to enforce.
I do think the district can take your child off of an IEP without your permission (but you can fight it and take it to due process). A district can keep your child ON an IEP without your knowledge and consent, BTW. I have seen it done.
Your best bet to keep him on an IEP is to ensure he needs somebody's time -JMO.
However, I am no expert. Have a look at wrightslaw dot com or ideapractices dot org.
HTH and GL
-Paula
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