What is the Difference Between an IEP and a 504 Plan?

If you have a child in school, chances are you’ve heard the terms IEP and 504 plan. But what exactly do these terms mean, and why do they matter? These are great questions! If you have a child with a special need or a learning disability, you need to know the answers. In this blog post, we are going to cover what some of the differences are between an IEP and a 504 plan.

Both IEPs and 504 plans help students with learning challenges succeed in school and are available at all public schools in the USA. Both provide protection for the child to ensure they have a fair and equal opportunity to learn. Many children will qualify for both, so it will be up to you as the parent with the school to determine which is the right choice for your child and their needs. Before we compare these two, let’s go over exactly what they are.

What is an IEP?

An Individualized Education Plan, or IEP, is a written education plan developed by a team to help a child with a qualified disability succeed in school. IEPs were developed as a result of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. According to the Department of Education, “IDEA is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.”

The IEP team is required to meet and discuss the child’s strengths, challenges, and needs, and parents are required to be a part of the IEP team. An IEP is required to be written by this team and must include specifics about the services and accommodations that will be made. It must also include the educational goals and how the progress of the child will be tracked.

If a child requires services outside of the classroom, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, tutoring, etc. an IEP may be the best choice.

What is a 504 Plan?

A 504 plan is often thought to be “pre-IEP,” “intro to an IEP,” or “a way to transition off of an IEP.” This way of thinking is incorrect as the 504 plan is different from an IEP. The 504 plan comes as a result of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, specifically Section 504.

The Department of Education states: “The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 addresses protections for students with disabilities. Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the department.”

So, what exactly does this mean? Basically, a 504 plan prohibits discrimination based on someone having a disability. Because of the law, schools are required to provide reasonable access and remove barriers for students with disabilities to allow them to participate fully in school. This often looks like modifications to the work in the regular classroom. A few examples are the additional time to take a test, help from a peer when taking notes, a specific seat assignment, etc. These modifications are also available to students with an IEP.

How Do I Know Which is the Right Fit?

The table below highlights some of the key points about the IEP and 504 plan. It will be up to you to decide with the school, which is the best fit for your child. Because the IEP requires more from the school, you may feel pressure to go with a 504 plan. We recommend you read the laws and understand your child’s rights so you can push for the plan best for your child’s learning needs.

	StartFragmentIndividualized Education Plan (IEP) EndFragment	504 Plan
Law	Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)	Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504
Purpose	To provide the child with individualized instruction specific to their needs based on their strengths and challenges.	To provide the child with equal access to education.
Eligibility	The child has been identified to have one of the 13 listed disabilities as determined by IDEA. You can that list HERE .	The child must have a documented disability but is not restricted to a specific list. The requirement is that their learning or other functions are affected by the disability.
Key Differences	Parents are required to be a part of the IEP team in addition to other specifically named people IEPs must be written down and include details about services, accommodations, modifications, etc. Each IEP is specific to the child based on their needs and may require students to join a special education or resource classroom Progress reports are required	The team is unspecified and parents are not required to be involved but are notified when a 504 plan is decided upon A 504 plan is not required to be a written document, though it typically is and lists the accommodations to be made. The 504 plan focuses on modifying the work in the regular classroom setting. Progress reports are not required to be made

If you are struggling to decide which plan may be right for your child or still unclear on the differences and how they will affect your child, we have service providers here at 121 Learning Works available to speak with you. Please call us at (973) 500-6767 to schedule an appointment with one of our service providers.