504 Plan

by Stephanie

So we have Avery’s 504 plan ready.  What is a 504 plan you ask?  It is something that the school puts in place in order to assist a child.  Not if they are mentally disabled.  Only for physical needs.   Like if you have a kid that is diabetic and they need their blood checked every 30 minutes, they would assign an aid to be with them to be monitoring that. 

In our case Avery is functioning very well in the classroom.  It is when there are a lot of kids in the hall way that she needs help.  She also isn’t allowed to participate in recess or PE right now.  Just so she doesn’t get hit in the head with a ball or get bumped and fall down.  Her dr. said both feet on the ground at all times.  And she is SUPER competitive.  So just sitting out feels like she is being punished. 

The school is having someone who will walk her to class.  And take her to the counselors office during lunch.  On rainy days the kids are all inside playing games anyway, it’s just on these sunny days she will have to be inside when they are all outside.  Fortunately for her (and unfortunately for me) these sunny days are all but over. 

Oh and bathroom breaks.  She needs an adult there, just in case she falls over.  She still is a bit unstable, especially when she bends down. 

The school has been amazing to work with.  Her principal and counselors know her well from last year and I feel like they are doing the best to make her feel safe and take care of her needs.  And this isn’t forever.  I am hopeful that by Thanksgiving she will be for the most part back to her normal routine. 

We also think that she has had limited site for a LONG time.  That this has been going slowly and she didn’t even notice.  So really she has been functioning with almost no peripheral vision for a while.  So for her, her site is back the way it was before for the most part.  Kids can adapt like that.  Luckily.  But we will have to see over the next six months what she gets back. 

And she slept till 12:45pm on Saturday.  Even with part days at school she was wiped out.  She won’t be going full days for at least another few weeks.