Mary: My son has a 504 plan for ADHD. He goes to a public school. My question is: If the after school program at his school is run by employees at the school can he have homework accommodations during study time? What I need is for one of the after school workers to sit next to my son and make sure he completes all his homework and is there if my son needs help.
My daughter also attends an after care program that is run by the public school employees. They work at the school my daughter attends. They denied my request for homework accommodations which included someone sitting next to him and double checking his work. Their reasoning is that once school ends for the day so do her accommodations. That does not sound right to me. I tried talking to the director of the program but she just laughed at me. Please help me!
Situations like this can be complicated. If this is considered a school program, they would be required to provide accommodations that are provided during the school day. If they say it is not a school program, your state Disability Rights project may be able help you get an answer. http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center
Definitely, he can have his homework during after school programs. Jill G is right, there are laws that protect children with disabilities in after school programs. You can talk to the admins so they are aware.
Your best bet for requesting an accommodation for your child is to do so in writing. You can state that your child has a disability, the nature of his disability, that you are requesting accommodation under Section 504/the ADA, and what the accommodation is. It also helps to provide supporting documentation, such as a letter from a provider (tutor, therapist, etc.) or info from school.
This school must consider whether the request would provide an undue financial burden or fundamentally change the nature of the program. If they decide that the requested accommodation is a financial or programmatic burden, the after school program should work with you to identify and consider other possible accommodations.
Mary –
There are two laws that protect children with disabilities in after school programs – Section 504 and the ADA. Section 504 applies to any entity that receives federal financial support, and the ADA applies to public (Title II) and private (Title III) entities. Your state may also have additional laws that apply.
These laws prohibit discrimination against children with disabilities, and require programs to make reasonable accommodations that allow the student to participate the program. What would be considered “reasonable” is based on your child’s needs and the program’s resources.