IEPs vs. 504 plans

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• What’s similar, what’s different

  If IEPs and 504 plans blur together for you, you’re in good company. Even some people who work in schools can mix them up. Here’s a quick explanation:

  What’s similar

  IEPs and 504s provide some of the same kinds of support to kids with disabilities. Both plans can provide three kinds of supports:

  • Accommodations are a common part of IEPs and 504s.

  • Modifications are less common — this is true for both IEPs and 504s.

  • Services are more common in IEPs but are possible in 504s.

  What’s different

  IEPs include two key things that 504s don’t:

  • Special education: IEPs provide specially designed instruction to help a student catch up with their peers. Special education is different from general education. The instruction can be provided in a general education classroom or in another setting, like going to a resource room for part of the day.

  • Annual goals: IEPs set goals and track a student’s progress toward meeting those goals. 504s don’t do either of these things. A 504 removes barriers to the general education curriculum. But parents can ask to check in with the 504 team to review the plan and make sure it’s working.

• Covered by different laws

  504 plans are covered by a civil rights law: The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 bans discrimination against people with disabilities in key areas:

  • Education is covered in Section 504 of this law, which is where the name "504 plan" comes from.

  • Technology is covered in Section 508.

  • Employment is covered in several sections of this law.

  IEPs are covered by an education law: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) makes schools provide special education to kids who need it. IDEA requires schools to do many things that Section 504 does not, including:

  • Meeting at least once a year to discuss a child’s IEP. (504 teams aren’t required by federal law to meet this often, but they typically do.)

  • Making parents equal members of the team that develops the IEP. (Section 504 does not require parents to be included in developing the 504 plan, but most schools ask parents to help create the plan.)

• Kids rarely have both at the same time

  It’s possible to have an IEP and a 504 plan, but it’s unlikely for a child to need both at the same time. Here’s why: Everything that’s in a 504 plan can be included in an IEP.

  That said, there are two situations in which some schools might offer a 504 plan to a student with an IEP:

  • A temporary injury. For example, a student with a broken hand may need some writing accommodations for a few weeks. The school might put those temporary accommodations in a 504 plan rather than adding them to the IEP.

  • A medical condition that doesn't directly impact academics, like a peanut allergy.

  But generally a child would not have two plans. Why streamline? Because it can take a lot of time and energy to manage even just one plan.

• Transitioning from one to the other

  It’s very common for kids to move from one type of school support to the other. Here’s how it can happen:

  • From IEP to 504: This is a common transition that happens when kids have made progress and no longer need specially designed instruction. For example, let’s say your child has dyslexia and their reading skills have improved, and now all they need are tools or accommodations. Those can be provided in a 504.

  • From 504 to IEP: This is another common transition. Kids often start with a 504 plan, and then the team realizes they need specially designed instruction to make progress in school. But this can only happen if the school does a comprehensive evaluation to see if a child qualifies for an IEP.