Keep in mind that what is made available to students through a 504 Plan should not be limitedto a pre-determined set of accommodations nor only influenced by the students’ specific disability. Parents have the right to ask for the accommodations that will help support their child and should not have to only consider what we call the "vanilla" package, or set of accommodations that the school says they "always" give to a child with a particular disability or disorder. What works for one student may not work for another.

Here are some important tips to ensuring a successful 504 Plan:

1. Annual review of the 504 Plan. Your school should contact you to review the plan at least once per year to make sure the Plan fully addresses the demands of your child’s upcoming grade. You can always ask to meet during the year if things aren’t going as expected.
2. Parent participation: Always participate in developing and updating the 504 Plan. You know your child better than anyone else and must be part of the discussion to decide what to include or revise in the Plan.
3. Student participation: Have your child attend the 504 meeting and help develop their Plan — especially middle and high school students. This way, they understand and know what services and accommodations they are supposed to receive and can give feedback about whether the plan is working for them.

If, for some reason, you don’t believe a 504 Plan is sufficiently meeting your child’s needs, you can always decide to:

• revise the 504 Plan
• add special education services (although rare, this is allowed under 504 law)
• re-evaluate for IDEA eligibility
• hire outside educational support (e.g. tutor)
• seek professional advocacy support

Note: Parents do have some legal rights under Section 504.

Parents are important partners in working with the school to ensure the 504 fully reflects the right amount support the child needs to be successful.