A child must have a disability that will impact them for a minimum of six months to get a 504 plan. For example, a child with a broken leg who needs classroom support for only a few weeks wouldn’t qualify. But what does qualify are conditions that are episodic in nature, or if it flares up and then it goes away and then it comes back again. Some examples of this could be mental health conditions such as depression, which can be less or more severe, as well as chronic medical conditions such as chronic fatigue, migraines, or POTS. Students with these kinds of conditions who haven’t been identified with any need for special education services qualify for a 504 plan, even if sometimes the condition is really impacting them and other times they’re able to go to school just fine.
A 504 plan might say that on days when a parent notifies the school that their child will be out due to a headache or panic attack, the teacher will provide the day’s lessons or homework to complete at home for the next day or two, so the child can keep up with the class.
Something to also note is that temporary injuries could eventually lead to a 504 plan if deemed necessary. For example, a student who has a concussion with longer lasting post concussion symptoms might have a "return to learn" or “return to school”) letter specifying accommodations they need, which could be turned into a 504 plan after 4-6 weeks.
For more information, see our full article What Is a 504 Plan?.
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