IEP vs. 504 Plan: Which One Does Your Child Need?

In the landscape of school supports, the terms “IEP” and “504 Plan” are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Both are designed to support students with disabilities, but they are governed by different federal laws and provide different levels of service. For a parent of a child with dyslexia, understanding this difference is crucial to effective advocacy.

Let’s explore the key distinctions to help you determine which plan might be the right fit for your child.

The Governing Laws

The biggest difference between the two plans lies in the laws that authorize them.

• An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This is a special education law that provides federal funding to states to ensure that eligible children with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

• A 504 Plan is governed by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in programs that receive federal funding, including public schools.

The Core Purpose: Instruction vs. Access

This is the most important distinction for parents to grasp.

An IEP is about providing specialized instruction and related services. It’s for students whose disability adversely affects their educational performance to the point that they need a different curriculum or teaching method to make progress. An IEP changes what and how a child is taught.

A 504 Plan is about providing access to the general education curriculum. It’s for students who can learn in the general education classroom but need accommodations to do so on a level playing field with their peers. A 504 Plan changes how a child accesses their education.

Feature	IEP (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)	504 Plan (Rehabilitation Act of 1973)
Purpose	Provides specialized instruction and services.	Provides accommodations for access.
What it does	Changes what and how a child learns.	Changes how a child accesses learning.
Governing Law	IDEA (Special Education Law)	Section 504 (Civil Rights Law)
Who is eligible?	Child has one of 13 disabilities AND it impacts educational performance.	Child has a disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities (like reading).

Eligibility: Who Qualifies?

The eligibility criteria for a 504 plan are broader than for an IEP.

• To qualify for an IEP, a child must have one of the 13 disabilities listed in IDEA (dyslexia falls under “Specific Learning Disability”) AND the disability must negatively impact their ability to make academic progress in the school setting.

• To qualify for a 504 Plan, a child must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Reading is considered a major life activity. This means a child with dyslexia could be eligible for a 504 plan even if they are getting good grades, as long as their disability limits their ability to read compared to their peers.

What Does This Mean for a Child with Dyslexia?

A child with dyslexia may need an IEP if they require specialized, intensive reading instruction (like a program based on Orton-Gillingham principles) to learn to read. The IEP would outline these specific instructional services.

Another child with dyslexia, who may have already received intensive intervention or has a less severe case, might not need specialized instruction but still needs accommodations to succeed. These could include:

• Extra time on tests
• Access to audiobooks
• Use of speech-to-text software for writing assignments

These accommodations would be provided under a 504 plan.

Which Plan is Better?

Neither plan is inherently “better” than the other; they simply serve different purposes. The right plan depends entirely on your child’s individual needs. An IEP provides more intensive services and has stricter legal requirements for parental participation and progress monitoring. A 504 plan is often easier to obtain but provides a lower level of support. Schools will often start with these to see if parents will accept them.

If you believe your child needs specialized instruction to learn, an IEP is the appropriate tool. If your child can succeed in the general education classroom with accommodations, a 504 plan may be sufficient. The key is to focus on your child’s needs, not the label of the plan.

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Related reading:

• What is an IEP? A Parent's 101 Guide
• IEP vs. 504 Plan: Understanding the Key Differences in Student Support
• Supporting Students with ADHD in the Classroom