504 Plan Templates, Accommodations, and Resources

Your child may have a disability with needs that should be accommodated so she can be successful in the classroom. A 504 plan spells out the modifications and accommodations that will be needed to make it possible for your child to succeed in a general education program. If you wonder what a  504 plan should look like and what might be included for specific disabilities, see examples and templates.

The actual format of the 504 will depend upon your school, or you can download or create your own form. These templates and accommodation lists provided by school districts and disability organizations can give you an idea of what to look at and what to look for when working with the school to put together a plan for your child.

Here are some indexes of downloadable templates and handouts to find out how other school districts handle 504 planning. Some include information for parents and staff as well.

• Heartland Area Education Agency, Johnston, Iowa, has forms and documents, as well as a guide on the 504 plan.
• Wayne RESA, Wayne, Michigan, has an extensive toolkit that covers items such as the 504 process, sample forms, and tips for effective forms.
• North Dakota Department of Public Instruction has a list of sample forms including evaluation procedures, accommodation forms, and parent rights.
• Portland Public Schools, Portland, Oregon, has a variety of forms and manuals for parents and teachers.

The needs of students with diabetes are often outlined in a 504 plan. These two organizations offer examples of what a 504 plan for these students might look like:

• Children With Diabetes: Sample plans are available for each grade from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, as well as for taking the SAT and ACT. They cover specific circumstances such as insulin injections and insulin pumps.
• The American Diabetes Association (ADA): Their model plan is available in Spanish as well as English. You can modify the model plan which covers a broad range of services and modifications for age groups ranging from kindergarten to high school seniors. The ADA notes that all plans should specify that school staff must be trained to recognize hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and to respond in accordance with the child's diabetes medical management plan.

Here are 504 plans or accommodation lists for other disabilities:

• Learning and attention issues: You can select from this list of accommodations and modifications that your child may need.
• Celiac disease: A model 504 plan from the Celiac Disease Foundation that covers areas such as meals and snacks, care for celiac disease, bathroom access, field trips, class projects, and communication.
• Epilepsy: The Epilepsy Foundation provides a sample document in PDF format that includes common needs for medications and recognizing and responding to seizures. It also has sections for those on a ketogenic diet and for students with a vagus nerve stimulator.
• Food allergies: These sample plans are specific for peanut and tree nut allergies, but may be useful for other food allergies.
• Inflammatory bowel disease: A plan you can modify from the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.
• Spina Bifida: The Spina Bifida Association has a comprehensive 504 plan in PDF format that can be printed out and signed. 
• Accommodations from Bridges 4 Kids: Useful lists of accommodations for conditions including allergies, arthritis, asthma, ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder, cancer, cerebral palsy, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, deaf/hearing impairment, diabetes, drugs/alcohol, emotionally disturbed, encopresis/enuresis, epilepsy, hearing impairment, learning disability, leukemia, orthopedically impaired, special health care needs, temporarily disabled, Tourette's syndrome, traumatic brain injury, tuberculosis, visual impairment, and weight (obesity, anorexia, bulimia). They also have suggested wording for environmental strategies, organizational strategies, behavioral strategies, presentation strategies, and evaluation methods.