United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

My 4 1/2 year old daughter will be entering Kindergarten in the fall. I will be meeting with the school principal soon to develop a 504 plan for her. I would love to hear from anyone who has experience in developing this plan for their child. What sorts of academic accommodations was your school able to help with? I'm not sure what to request. She has a ROBPI (and is right handed), so I expect that fine motor skills will be problematic. She is well recovered (she's had daily therapy all her life but no surgery), but does have muscle weakness, decreased ROM and the usual BPI compensation movements. I appreciate any help or advice!

The key to the 504 plan is how does this injury effect her ability to learn (the educational process). For those of us in the bpi world, that seems a no brainer, but to your 504 committee, not so.

Some questions to ask yourself, so you can answer them for the committee:

is her handwriting slow, laborious?
is her handwriting illegible?
can she carry books in the affected hand?
can she wear a backpack on both shoulders (they will get heavy?
can she open up her lunch (baggies, juice box) by herself?
can she carry a tray of food by herself?
is she safe on the playground (can she do monkey bars, climb slide ladders)?
does she fall alot?
does she want to stand up to do work?
is she sensitive light or sound?
is she focused?
will she need help on and off the school bus?

I am sure there are more, but I can't remember all of them.

Once you answer the questions, you can start to formulate your own plan. 504 plans do not guarantee services (ot/pt) but they are accommodation plans to make managing the school easier. For instance: she might get ot for her poor handwriting once a week, and then an aide in the lunch room. Since she tends to be fidgety, you can ask for "preferrential seating" near the teacher. You can ask for an aide to help her off the bus and request that she carry a rolling backpack.

Also, assume that the committee knows NOTHING about bpi. So, you will need to educate them. If you need some back copies of outreach email me (I live in ny) and I will send them to you. Plus, download the "information for schools" from the website. Outreach and that "information" sheet should also be given to the teacher in the fall.

good luck,
claudia
luv2bakeferu@aol.com


Message was edited by: claudia

Christine,
The rolling backpack is a MUST in my opinion. Backpacks on shoulders will be painful down the rode of Life with BPI.

Please post how things go for you in your meeting.

HUGS,
Carolyn J
Adult/LOBPI,age 68 & Proud of it!

What do you do when the schools don't allow rolling backpacks and no one can/will assit the child??? Is there any action that can be taken. We have run in to so much bull trying to get our daughter into Per-K and now K. The Outreach was a wealth of info on starting school. Thanks

Angels mom,
This is where you need a 504. They are failing to realized that there is an Americans with Disabilities Act. I had a principal tell me that rolling backpacks ruined her floors. Well, it just took me getting her a copy of the Americans with Disabilities Act to straighten her out. I have been fortunate, that since I work (VOLUNTEER) in the schools a lot, they don't fight me too much. It was much worse in the old school district. We don't have a 504 for Brandon, I have one for Heather my older daughter who also has an Individualized Education Plan(IEP) for her "ISSUES" but no BPI ! I think I might need a 504 for Brandon as he gets older, to secure the items he needs for note taking and the like when he reaches higher grades. Brandon does have sensory issues, which I end up having to explain to the teachers every year, but I'd rather do that than those wonderful 504 meetings !!! LOL GAYLE

Also, get her pediatrician or BPI doctor to write a note saying it would be harmful to your child in the longrun to wear a backpack, therefore they are requesting the use of a rolling backpack. The school doesn't want to be held responsible for going against the doctor and causing harm to your child do they???

Tanya in NY