Who qualifies

Learn

• The legal standard

  As a parent, it can be hard to know whether what you’re seeing at home, or hearing from the teacher, will qualify for a 504 plan. The law doesn’t come with a checklist. But here’s how schools decide:

  • To get a 504, a student must have a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.”

  • This wording comes from Section 504 of a civil rights law called the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

  There is no list of specific conditions or disabilities that qualify a child for a 504 plan. Instead, schools focus on two key terms: “substantial limit” and “major life activity.”

• What is a “major life activity”?

  Major life activities include things people do each day. Here are a few examples:

  • Eating

  • Sleeping

  • Breathing

  • Walking

  • Learning

  • Thinking

  • Interacting with peers and adults (social functioning)

  Many neurodivergent kids qualify for a 504 plan. For example, ADHD can be an impairment under the law because it impacts activities like thinking and paying attention. Likewise, dyslexia can be an impairment under the law because it impacts reading and spelling.

  Beyond learning differences, many other conditions also qualify. In a typical school, there will be 504 plans for anxiety, food allergies, vision problems, illnesses, and more.

• What counts as a “substantial limit”?

  To qualify for a 504 plan, the law says a student needs to have an impairment that “substantially limits” a major life activity. Schools decide what counts as a substantial limit case by case, for each student.

  Some families may feel extra uncertain if their child has “mild ADHD.” But even mild ADHD can make it hard to do everyday things, like focusing in class, keeping up with work, or following routines. That real-life impact is what matters when it comes to getting support.

  Not sure if your child’s challenges are “enough”? You can still ask for a 504 plan. Later in this section, you’ll learn how schools evaluate kids to see if they need a 504 plan.