IEP and 504 guides

• The 13 IDEA Disability Categories That Qualify for an IEP

  The 13 IDEA disability categories that qualify a child for an IEP, each explained plainly: autism, specific learning disability, other health impairment, speech or language impairment and the rest, read against 34 CFR 300.8.

• Does a 504 Plan or IEP Follow You to College?

  Does a 504 plan or IEP follow you to college? No, not automatically. What replaces them under the ADA and Section 504, why the student must self-disclose to disability services and how to set it up. Free.

• You Disagree With the IEP: Your Options

  What to do when you disagree with an IEP: consent limits, an independent evaluation at public expense under 34 CFR 300.502, prior written notice, mediation and how a state complaint compares honestly to a due process complaint.

• Do You Need an Advocate or Attorney?

  What a special education advocate and an attorney actually do, real cost ranges and when good preparation is enough versus when to call a lawyer. Grounded in IDEA, Section 504 and real case law.

• How to Request a 504 Plan

  How to request a 504 plan for your child: put the request in writing, what the school does next, the reasonable timeline under Section 504 and what to do if the school says no. Free, read against Section 504.

• How to Request an IEP Evaluation

  How to request an IEP evaluation: who can ask, how to put it in writing, the consent and 60-day timeline and what a comprehensive evaluation has to cover.

• The Dispute-Resolution Map: State Complaint, Mediation and Due Process

  The three IDEA dispute-resolution routes compared: who runs a state complaint, mediation and a due process hearing, each one's timeline and cost under 34 CFR 300.151-153, 300.506 and 300.507-516, plus where to find your state's agency.

• The IEP Meeting Walkthrough

  What an IEP meeting is, who has to attend, how notice and scheduling work and what to expect, grounded in IDEA. Plain language, not legal advice.

• The IEP Process, Start to Finish

  The IEP process from referral to placement: Child Find, consent, the 60-day evaluation, eligibility, the 30-day IEP meeting, placement, annual review and the three-year reevaluation, each with its federal citation.

• IEP vs 504: What's the Difference

  The real legal difference between an IEP and a 504 plan: who qualifies, what each provides, how evaluation and enforcement differ. Grounded in IDEA and Section 504.

• Prior Written Notice Explained: What It Is and What It Must Say

  Prior written notice explained: when a school must send it, the seven things it has to say under 34 CFR 300.503 and how it differs from your annual procedural safeguards notice.

• School Not Following the IEP: What to Do

  What to do when a school is not following the IEP: the escalation path from an informal conversation to a state complaint, mediation and due process, with timelines and citations under IDEA Part B.

• Understanding Your Child's Evaluation Report: Scores, Percentiles and What They Mean

  How to read your child's evaluation report: standard scores, percentile ranks, composite and subtest scores and confidence intervals explained in plain language, grounded in IDEA's evaluation rules.

• What Qualifies a Student for a 504 Plan

  What qualifies a student for a 504 plan: the three-part legal test, what counts as a major life activity and why a diagnosis alone never decides eligibility, grounded in 34 CFR Part 104.

Every load-bearing legal fact in these guides is read against IDEA or Section 504 and dated on the page. This is general information for parents, not legal or educational advice.