The School Support Desk.
Something isn't working at school? Pull up a chair. Find a support worth trying, understand your options, or leave with the words for your next conversation. No school jargon required.
What's the part that isn't working?
Pick the closest description. These aren't diagnoses or one-size-fits-all fixes—just useful possibilities to bring to the conversation.
IEP, 504, or classroom support?
You don't have to walk into a meeting already knowing which plan your child needs. Start by understanding what each pathway is designed to do.
504 plan
Access and equal opportunity. Section 504 protects eligible students with disabilities from discrimination. A plan can document accommodations and related aids/services needed for equal access.
Think: changes to how a student accesses learning or school activities, such as breaks, adjusted testing conditions, or organizational supports.
IEP
Special education and related services. Under IDEA, an eligible student needs special education because of a qualifying disability. An IEP documents goals, services, supports, and how progress is measured.
Think: individualized instruction and services—not simply a longer list of accommodations.
How do I request an evaluation?
Send a dated written request to the school principal or special education coordinator describing the difficulties you're seeing and asking for an evaluation under IDEA and/or Section 504, as appropriate. Ask about the school's next steps and consent process. A request does not guarantee eligibility; IDEA evaluations generally require informed parental consent before initial evaluation.
What if my child has good grades?
Grades are only part of the picture. Difficulty with attention, regulation, organization, attendance, behavior, or access can still matter. Section 504 eligibility does not depend on failing grades; IDEA eligibility requires meeting its specific disability and special-education-need criteria.
What if the school says to try interventions first?
Classroom interventions can be helpful, but under IDEA a school cannot use response-to-intervention strategies to delay or deny an evaluation when one is warranted. Ask for the school's response to your evaluation request in writing and the procedural safeguards that apply.
What should I bring to a meeting?
Bring two or three specific examples, what your child does well, what you've already tried, relevant work samples or communications, your child's perspective, and your top questions. You can use the meeting prep sheet in drawer three.
Federal starting points: IDEA · U.S. Department of Education Section 504. State rules and timelines may add requirements.
Let's put it into words.
You can be collaborative and clear. Choose what you need, make the draft sound like you, then copy it. Nothing is sent or saved here.
When school gets complicated.
A few small tools for the situations that don't fit neatly into an email. Fill in what you know, then use it to start a conversation or document what happens next.
“School says fine. Home says otherwise.”
Two things can be true. Bring observations from both settings without asking anyone to prove the other wrong.
“They said no. What do I ask next?”
A no isn't always the end of the conversation. First clarify what was declined and why.
Prior written notice is required for certain IDEA proposals or refusals, not every informal classroom-support conversation. Section 504 has its own procedural protections.
“We had the meeting. What did we actually decide?”
Before the details blur, record the commitments and the date you'll check in.
“The plan exists, but is it helping?”
Separate whether the support is being used from whether it works when used. Those are two different problems.
Bring the important parts.
You don't need a perfect binder. A few concrete examples and clear questions can make a meeting more productive.
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