504 Plan

A 504 Plan is based on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (a civil rights law). It prevents discrimination against students with disabilities and ensures equal access to education. In order to be eligible for a 504 Plan, a student must have or be perceived to have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (i.e., learning, concentrating, walking, etc.).

IEP

An IEP is based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (a federal special education law). It provides specialized instruction and services for students with disabilities. To be eligible for an IEP, a student must have one of the specific disability categories as defined in 5 CCR § 3030 (e.g., Specific Learning Disability, Autism, Speech/Language Impairment, etc.) and need specialized instruction to make progress.

In California, a school district cannot give a medical diagnosis, but it can determine whether your child qualifies for special education under a specific educational disability category. 

A school district can evaluate your child to determine:

• Whether your child has an educational disability under IDEA.
• Whether your child qualifies for an IEP.
• Whether your child qualifies for a 504 Plan.

What a school district cannot do is provide a medical diagnosis, like:

• ADHD
• Autism (medical diagnosis)
• Anxiety disorder
• Bipolar Disorder

Only licensed medical professionals (like pediatricians, psychiatrists, or clinical psychologists acting in a medical capacity) can give medical diagnoses.

Start at your child’s school of residence. Contact your child’s teacher, school counselor, or site administrator to discuss your concerns for your child. A terrific place to start is to have an SST meeting where a team of dedicated professionals will meet with you to discuss your concerns, interventions, and brainstorm next steps, which might include an assessment to determine eligibility for an IEP or 504 Plan.