Hello all,
One of my boys is being considered for a 504 plan at the local elementary school. I’d like to know if there could/would be any detrimental effects, long term? I understand that it’s generally illegal to disqualify some one for anything based on a “disabled” status. But I’m curious if such a thing would (say) disqualify him from military service, or anything like that.
I am reading up on what I can find at google, of course - but there are so many legal & educational mavens here at the SDMB that I have to ask.
Thanks much in advance.
IANAL, but a ‘504’ is supposed to be a temporary measure, with a firm ‘expiration date’. It should not be treated as a ‘lower-level’ IEP (individualized education plan)*. Assuming that it is intended to be temporary, I highly doubt that anyone will seriously care 10 years from now. If, OTOH, your son needs a more permanent solution, you should seek out more information on an IEP. IEP’s may follow a student through college, if they still need modification. In short, I don’t think you have to worry about an impact to military service.
*IEP’s are usually given for ‘life-long’ disabilities, and should be rewritten once a year. E.g. plans might include directions to the teachers to place a child with attention deficit issues in/near the front row and monitor progress during testing.
504’s are usually given for ‘short-term’ disabilities, and usually come with a given expiration date. E.g. a 504 plan might be written for a child with a broken dominant hand to have extra time during testing or shorter writing assignments due to lack of practice writing with the other hand.
Good luck,
-Geek