School Accommodations by Need (504 Plan and IEP)

These are options to discuss with your team, drawn from the standard accommodation taxonomy and read against Section 504 and IDEA. Read against Section 504, 34 CFR 104.33(b)(1) on July 19, 2026. Jump to sources

What are school accommodations?

School accommodations are changes to how a child learns, shows what they know and is tested, so a disability does not stand between them and a fair chance to learn. Federal law describes them as regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet a child's individual needs. Whatever the need, accommodations tend to fall into four groups: how work is presented, how the student responds, the setting and how time is arranged. The pages below gather common options by need as starting points for the conversation, never a form to hand the school.

How to use these lists. These are accommodation options to explore and discuss with your child's IEP or 504 team, not a list the school is required to adopt and not medical, legal or educational advice. Every plan is individual, so the team decides what fits your child from the evaluation.

The four groups accommodations fall into

Presentation

Directions given one step at a time or in writing
Text available in audio or read aloud
Fewer items per page, larger or highlighted text

Response

Typed, dictated or oral answers where writing is a barrier
A device or scribe to record answers
Answers marked in the test booklet

Setting

A reduced-distraction space for tests
Small-group or individual administration
Seating chosen to reduce distraction

Timing and scheduling

Extended time on tests and assignments
Short breaks during long tasks
A long task split across sessions

Accommodations by need

Common options many teams weigh, gathered by need as a starting point for the conversation.

ADHD accommodations

Options many teams weigh for attention, focus and organization, across how work is presented, timing, setting and response.

Autism accommodations

Options around predictable structure, clear directions, sensory comfort and room to communicate.

Dyslexia accommodations

Options that get past the reading and spelling barrier, from audio text to extended time.

Does this go in a 504 plan or an IEP?

Accommodations can live in either a 504 plan or an IEP. A 504 plan usually fits a child who needs accommodations but not specialized instruction. An IEP fits a child who needs specialized instruction as well. The IEP vs 504 guide explains how the team decides.

A preview of the free Accommodations List (504 and IEP), one printable page

Get the free Accommodations List (504 and IEP) (PDF)

The common accommodation options grouped by type, to circle and bring to the team as a starting point.

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The IEP and 504 Command Center shown as a cover and a member area with its five parts: the Command Binder System, the Letter Library, the Meeting Script Deck, the Score-Your-IEP Self-Review and the Plain-Language Rights Cheat Sheet

From the team behind this library

The IEP & 504 Command Center

This page shows the options to discuss. The Command Center hands you the done pieces: the binder built, the letters written, the meeting scripts ready and a self-review that shows where your child's plan is strong or thin. The library stays free.

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Questions parents ask

Does the school have to give every accommodation on a list?

No. A list like this is a menu of options, not a set of guarantees. The team looks at your child's evaluation and decides together which supports fit and how they work. Bring the ones that match what you see as options to discuss. The team shapes them into a plan that fits your child.

What is the difference between an accommodation and a modification?

An accommodation changes how a child learns or is tested while keeping the same expectations, such as extra time or audio text. A modification changes what a child is expected to learn or do, such as fewer or different problems. Most of the options here are accommodations. The team decides what your child needs from the evaluation.

Should I bring accommodation ideas to the meeting?

Yes. It helps. Coming in with a few options that match what you see at home gives the team a concrete place to start. They are ideas to talk through together rather than demands, so the team shapes them into what actually fits your child.

Sources

What the facts on this page come from

Section 504, 34 CFR 104.33(b)(1) (appropriate education: regular or special education and related aids and services designed to meet individual educational needs) www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-104/subpart-D/section-104.33
IDEA, 34 CFR 300.42 (supplementary aids and services) and 34 CFR 300.320(a)(4) (the IEP includes supplementary aids and services) sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.42
IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University (accommodation categories: presentation, response, setting, timing and scheduling) iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/acc/

This page is general educational information for parents, not legal or educational advice. It does not tell any family what to do. Every example here is a starting point to discuss and adapt with your child's IEP or 504 team, which decides what fits your child from the evaluation. Confirm anything time-sensitive with your school or district. For a genuinely contested situation, a special education advocate or an attorney who works in your state is the right person to ask.