Signs of Spring: Green Grass, Blue Sky, Blooming Flowers... and 504 Plan Reviews!

Spring has sprung! 

The arrival of spring always brings with it the promises of things to come...

Flowers, blossoms, leaves, sunshine, blue skies, warmer temperatures....

and a 504 plan review!

In the spring, we always get together with A's school staff to review her 504 plan and make any needed changes for the coming year. 

504 plan reviews and the development of such plans can bring with a lot of anxiety and frustration. 

But it doesn't have to be that way!

I was totally honored to be asked by Disney's T1 Everyday Magic website to write an article for them about just that!  As a teacher and a parent of a child with T1D, I have a unique perspective on managing the school system.  The article is called "What Your Child's Teacher Doesn't Know About Type 1".  And you can read it by clicking HERE!

We are lucky to have no difficulty with A's 504 plan.  In all honesty, our meetings last about 10 minutes because we have not made any changes for the past few years.  A few years ago we added accommodations specific to standardized testing and since then it's been working perfectly. 

I am expecting to begin to need to tweak her plan a bit probably next year and she's gaining more and more independence in her diabetes management and we will want her plan to reflect that. 

But for now, it's good! 

I feel strongly about the need for a 504 plan.

And if anyone didn't need one - it was me!  We created a plan for A when she went to preschool.  At that time, she was in my school building where I teach.  I handled all her care.  And I trusted our staff completely.

So why would I want or need a plan?

I feel strongly that the time to create a plan is when everything is going well.  Don't wait for trouble.  You want the plan in place before trouble arrives.  That's what it's there for!  I view it as a safe guard. 

I knew that A would not always be in my school or in my district.  When she went to first grade, we moved her to the school district that is where we live.  And it was wonderful to be able to have her plan move with her to her new school and district. 

If you are new to all of this, take a look up at the right side of the blog where it says "School and Other Caregiver Information"  Or just click here.  You will find lots of different information that we use for school including teacher information sheets and a sample 504 plan.  (I don't think this is our current plan but you'll get the idea and what you want in your plan is entirely personal and up to you!)  There are also some links to other sites you might find useful!  You also might want to check out the ADA's Safe at School website for great information about the law and more! 

If you want my best advice for having a successful meeting your child's school... just read the article! 

Good Luck!