What's actually in the 504?

I shared the meeting process in a previous post but I didn't share what's in her actual 504. Today, I'll share what adaptations we make for school and what we have written in her 504. I'm doing this in hopes that it will help someone who is the parent of a child with a limb difference. I'm also sharing this so others know the things that help Bella be more successful in the school system.

Super simple change #1- put paper towels in a drawer near the sink in the classroom. While this may seem like a small thing, her teacher last year did it for the first time. Bella found it super kind that her teacher did that AND it was helpful because the paper towels didn't shred every time she tried to pull one from the dispenser. You know those dispensers that show a picture of both hands, try using one hand next time. They tear into small pieces or shred all together. Small changes= big difference!

A big focus is physical education and safety. We have it written in our plan to "consult between parent, PE teacher, and district PT quarterly to review unit activities and adapt if necessary". Bella's PE teacher and I have really great communication and this has helped. We actually met last week which was really helpful for talking about what units are coming up and our plan. We had a solid plan in place prior to the 504 meeting which is one reason we breezed through the official 504 meeting.

Bella and her PE teacher for pre-teaching outside of the classroom. This occurred last year and according to her PE teacher a really great boost in her self-confidence. Once the skill came up during the class, Bella and her PE teacher already had their plan in place for adaptations if necessary. This allowed her to walk into PE and start the skill right away. This allows her to feel comfortable and also helps that it doesn't take time away from the actual activity during PE.

Safety during PE is essential, especially when it comes to weight bearing on her upper extremities (arms). When a person is missing fingers, their balance and stability is compromised. Her prosthetic has really leveled the playing field. It allows her balance and stability and allows her to safely weight bear on her arms and hands. That alone is worth the cost in my eyes! When Bella does strength or balancing activities in PE, I've asked for her to be closer to the teacher so she can be more closely observed. This is written in her 504.

Another "little thing" that we do is photo copy longer math work or class notes to reduce writing fatigue. In fourth grade in our district, kids are assigned an I-pad through school. This is really helpful because now Bella can take a photo (suggested by the principal- which I think is a great idea!) so that she can have the information for later. You can also edit the photos so she could "write" on the screen. Anything we can do to help decrease the workload of that right hand, we will!

She also has the option to use technology resources for assignments, such as Voice to text, read write, word prediction and see saw. That's written exactly in her 504 plan. I wanted her to be able to voice to text for longer assignments, again to reduce workload on her right hand. Sometimes, I will transcribe her answers or write things when we are home in order to decrease the workload. If she has a paragraph to write, she will tell me what to write and I write her words exactly.

The last thing is allowing her extra time for self help and daily living activities. Buttons, zippers, shoe tying are usually a non-issue at this point, however sometimes it does take her a little longer. I'm not talking 10 minutes longer, just a minute or two. The transition from lunch to recess when you have to change to winter gear can be problematic. We are still working on a glove that will work to keep her left hand warm and allow her to still be independent.

This year, we'll face recorders in music. Lord help me... kidding, kind of! Anyhow, we'll have to figure out what works for that!