Information on Accomodating Students with Disabilities
For some children, providing the appropriate modifications and accommodations they need is the only way they will be successful in their school experiences.
Links to very helpful sites to learn more about accomodations for students with disabilities including what they are, why they need them, and how to provide them:
~This site has a great list of accomodations and includes some of the more common behaviors exhibited by students with ADHD.
~Great site from FLDOE on which you can find accomodations based on a specified student need.
*Also, if you scroll to the bottom of this page you will find helpful files that you can download and save for your own classroom use.
So what's the difference between a 504 and ESE (Exceptional Student Education)?
The major differences between ESE/IDEA and Section 504 are in the flexibility of the procedures. For a child to be identified as eligible for services under Section 504, there are less specific procedural criteria that govern the requirements of the school personnel. Schools may offer a student less assistance and monitoring with Section 504 because there are fewer regulations by the federal government to instruct them, especially in terms of compliance.
In contrast, a child identified for services under ESE/IDEA must meet specific criteria. The degree of regulation is more specific in terms of time frames, parental participation, and formal paperwork requirements. IDEA also addresses the special education of students with disabilities from preschool to graduation only (from ages 3 to 21). Section 504 covers the lifespan and safeguards the rights of persons with disabilities in many areas of their lives, including employment, public access to buildings, transportation, and education.
*From LDOnline
Students with a 504 plan:
The 504 plan is not ESE or under IDEA. It is actually under the Office of Civil Rights and came out of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Section 504 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in public and private programs and activities that receive financial assistance from the federal government. However, in order to qualify for a 504, students must be determined to:
1. Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (which can include education/learning.)
2. Have a record of such an impairment (such as a doctor's note or a school team's decision.)
3. Be regarded as having such an impairment.
The 504 requires schools to provide a FAPE for students with documented physical or mental disabilities and provide accomodations for these children to help them to access the school's curriculum so that their civil rights are not violated by withholding a public education from
them.
For additional information access the online tutorial created by the FLDOE.
| Accomodations Handbook |
| Helpful Checklist to Keep Track |
| FLDOE Accomodations Chapter |
| Simple List of Accomodations |
