504 Plans: Why Do You Need One?

Developing a 504 plan is a cooperative effort involving you, the student, your family, and the school staff. It is used to make sure that every party involved understands their responsibilities in terms of helping the student succeed, and to work out potential problems before they occur. It should be highly personalized - there is no "standard" plan because everyone has different needs. In addition to providing the student with permission to eat and drink and check blood sugars in class, a 504 plan may include:

• a requirement for teachers and other staff members to be trained in responding to hypo/hyperglycemic reactions (which includes administering glucagon in emergencies)
• a list of which diabetes care tasks the student is capable of handling on his or her own and which ones he or she needs help with (for example, an 8 year old may be able to check her bg by herself but need help from the nurse giving injections)
• a specified lunch time for the student
• access to nutritional information of foods served in the school cafeteria
• water and glucose on the sidelines of every PE class
• permission to carry a water bottle around, or be excused to visit the water fountain at any time
• no penalties for absences due to diabetes-related illness

504 plans apply to field trips and extracurricular activities, as well. You should review your 504 plan with your teachers and counselor, and make changes or additions to it as needed, at the outset of every school year.

For more information about 504 plans, contact the American Diabetes Association.