Frequently Asked Questions
What is an IEP?
An IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, is a plan developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act receives the special education instruction, services and accommodations to meet the student’s educational needs. IEPs involve formal assessments like neurological and behavioral evaluations and may be harder to qualify than a 504 accommodation.
What is a 504?
A 504 is an education plan developed to help students who need accommodation under the Rehabilitation Act in general education classrooms. 504 Plans focus on accommodations without modifying the curriculum. More students qualify for 504s than IEPs.
Students with what conditions can qualify for an IEP?
- Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
- Other health impairment
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Emotional Disturbance
- Speech or language impairment
- Visual impairment (including blindness)
- Deafness
- Hearing impairment
- Deaf-blindness
- Orthopedic impairment
- Intellectual disability
- Traumatic brain injury
- Multiple disabilities
Students with what conditions can qualify for a 504?
Any disability that interferes with a child’s ability to learn in a general education classroom can qualify for a 504 Plan. Conditions like ADHD, anxiety, or chronic diseases often qualify.
Are IEPs and 504s only offered by public schools?
Yes. Both federal laws that govern IEP and 504 plans dictates public schools must provide such them to qualifying students. Private schools do not have to provide such services thus public schools tend to have much more robust special ed programs.
What kind of accommodations a special Ed student may be entitled to?
A special Ed student can be entitled to all sorts of accommodations depending on their diagnosis and the impediment in learning such disability causes. Your child for example can be waved from certain homework if the mobile skill deficiency prevents your child from completing such task. A student can also be granted extended time for homework, school tests, state standardize tests or SAT. Less students will qualify for the extended time accommodation for the SAT but it is always worth discussing with your child’s guidance counselor and the counselor can put forward such applications.
What are the pros and cons of a resource room?
A resource room is where schools assign special needs students, it is the classroom used for special education, so it is usually run by special ed teachers.
The pros for the resource room is the much lower student teacher ratio. It provides a safe environment for students who have severe physical disabilities, the teaching is paced for individual student and protects special needs students from bullying.
The cons are for students who can keep up with general education curriculum such as those on the autism spectrum, the resource room keeps them from interacting with their peers and takes away the opportunity for them to learn important interpersonal and social skills which they are deficient in. As some of those students grow up their social and speech skills tend to deteriorate, which further demonstrates the downsides of segregating special needs students from their peers.
Why is Asperger’s syndrome no longer a diagnosis?
Asperger’s syndrome used to be a stand-alone neurological diagnosis. It is now diagnosed as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Even though it is no longer an official diagnosis, it is considered high-functioning autism. Students will receive an ASD diagnosis and qualify for the same special education.