Educational Advocacy: IEPs and 504s
Parents or Guardians often begin to suspect their child may need additional help in school when they notice that their child is struggling despite receiving typical classroom instruction or support. While every child learns differently, difficulties that interfere with learning, behavior, attendance, or participation may have parents asking for a closer review.
Children can have difficulty with school performance that may look like; refusal to do homework, failing grades, declining work, needing more time for assignments, difficulty understanding new material, executive functioning skill lack, and frequent absences. Other issues could be due to behavioral needs, social concerns, or medical issues. Occasionally these difficulties or behaviors may actually be in the home environment and not in the school setting.
When a student has a need or a qualified disability that substantially affects their ability to access or benefit from education, they are protected by a series of federal laws. These students can be covered by either an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a Section 504 Plan. The two plans serve different purposes and have different eligibility requirements.
An IEP, created under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is appropriate when a student has a qualifying disability and requires specialized instruction to make meaningful educational progress. The school and parents jointly make a determination after specialized testing and develop a plan from there. An IEP is for direct instruction during part or all of the school year. This may or may not also include accommodations, alternative placements( APS), and behavior plans (BIPs). This is a legally binding document between the parents, child and school district. Any disability determination by the school district is NOT A MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS.
A 504 is designed for the student to access accommodations only. This is based on a medical diagnosis from a doctor (MD or DO). A diagnosis alone (such as ADHD, anxiety, specific learning disability, or dyslexia) does not automatically qualify a student for an IEP or a 504 Plan. The school team and parents must also determine that the disability has a significant impact on the student's access to education.
Key Differences
IEP (Individualized Education Plan)
Requires a qualifying disability under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
Provides specialized instruction
Includes measurable annual goals
May include related services (speech, OT, counseling)
Annual review and reevaluation every 3 years.
504 Accommodations Plan
Covers disabilities under Section 504, of Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Provides accommodations
Does not include instructional goals
May include related aids and accommodations but not specialized instruction
Periodic review; procedures vary by district
If your child is struggling at school or after school and you think they may benefit from accommodations or specialized instruction please reach out to your therapist. If you have wondered if your child would benefit from an IEP or 504, or if your child has school services that you would like to be reviewed, PFTG has someone that can assist you. Therapeutic educational advocacy is now available at PFTG. Therapeutic educational advocates are different from standard educational advocates because they focus on cases where a student’s mental health, trauma, neurodivergence, or behavioral concerns can actively interfere with their ability to learn.
A therapeutic educational advocate completely changes how an IEP is built by getting the school to treat mental health, behavioral concerns, and emotional triggers with the same legal weight as academic struggles. They turn clinical diagnoses into enforceable school accommodations, ensuring your student is supported rather than penalized for their mental health.
If you are interested in learning more about Educational Advocacy, or are wondering if this is a service that you or your child would benefit from, please click here to see more about our services or reach out to Kelly Pohlig at kpohlig@peoplefirsttherapy.org. Kelly offers various packages and hourly rates for this service and can tailor it to your specific needs and history.
If you care about Mental Health, please consider donating to our nonprofit, which pays for someone else’s therapy who cannot afford it. Donate here.
