Student Receives 504 Plan

L.A. is an honor student at a high school in New Mexico. She has suffered from migraines since elementary school. The migraines become so painful that she has to go to the emergency room and have the doctors administer medications. Even then the headaches do not dissipate for days, sometimes weeks at a time. Still, L.A. perseveres and does exceptionally well in her school work if her parents tutor her and if the teachers assign homework during her absences.

However, last year at school, the school administrators began to tighten up on her absences, and L.A. feared she would lose credit and be ousted from her honor programs. Her parents made several requests to the administrators at school, and they refused to write a 504 plan or even hold a 504 meeting, the meeting where disability accommodations to the regular school curriculum, policies, and procedures can be developed, if necessary.

The parents contacted P&A. The P&A advocate called several top administrators in 504 school programs, special education programs, and regular programs. The administrators made contact with the school principals and assistant principals. A 504 meeting was held with the P&A advocate attending by phone.

The local school administrators agreed to all the accommodations requested by the parent. Some confusion ensued when the new school year began and several of the local school administrators had retired or transferred from L.A.’s school. The parent was informed that a new policy was in effect and it would be far more difficult to obtain a 504 plan. Again, the parent called P&A. The advocate contacted the same administrators. After informing the local principals on proper procedures for addressing a disability such as chronic migraines, the local principal and assistant principal quickly agreed to a 504 meeting, and the necessary accommodations were discussed and included in a plan that works for L.A.