Sophia: Our child has Asperger’s and is doing well in school but has trouble with executive functioning, aural memory and behavior. The school wants to move our child to a 504 but keep services in place. This seems strange to me. Why would they want to do this? Is Due Process usually best handled through an attorney?
While we hope your child continues to do well in school, we don’t know what the future holds. I would not agree to move to a 504 – 504 offers no advantages to students with disabilities.
Section 504 does not require the school to provide an individualized educational program (IEP) that is designed to meet a child’s unique needs and provide the child with educational benefit. Section 504 does not require a plan that is written. Under 504, fewer procedural safeguards are available to the child and parents than under IDEA. – See more at: https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.index.htm
This short article about 504 v. IDEA by Pat Howey, parent advocate spells out the differences.
For me (based on past experience), I understand that a student cannot be 504 and receiving services under the Special Education program. This is an unusual case. I would seek clarification on why this method is sought for the student. I would recommend to stay under the Special Education program as it would allow more services to be provided to the student in question (e.g. in-class services/assistance).