What's In Your 504 Plan

[NewGFMom]

Hi folks,

I'm looking for some feedback on 504 plans. I decided to get one for my son's kindergarten that will start in September. He has celiac, and has been on a gluten-free diet for a couple of years. So far our preschool and prek experiences have been great without any formal plan in place. But I want to make sure that the new school understands this ahead of time. They have a lot of experience with food allergies, but celiac is kind of its own animal.

So far I have requested:

• My son have unlimited, unrestricted bathroom access.
  
• Gluten free art supplies in his classroom and the art room.
  
• A safe place to keep food for him in case he forgets his lunch or needs snacks, so that the school can feed him in these instances, like they could feed any other child that forgot a lunch.
  
• Clean trays for him to use under his home-brought lunch.
  
• Parental notification of any food-related activities.
  

Can you think of anything else that might be useful? The school nurse has been incredibly accommodating and responsive and I don't want to overwhelm her. But I don't want to leave out anything important either.

Thanks so much!

-Margaret

[happygirl]

Open Original Shared Link There may be some helpful info in the "children" section.

[Juliet]

In addition to everything you said:

1. A clean, safe area for him to eat (believe me, those cafeterias are gluten attacks waiting to happen; he touches the table right next to him where someone's eating a sandwich and there it begins).

2. Time to wash his hands with soap you supply before eating and after every recess. You would not believe how much gluten on the playground there can be; kids aren't "supposed" to eat out there, but they do. And the best kid still puts his fingers in his mouth about 100 times a day when he or she is 5.

3. Your kid does not get trash duty (this is something they do at my son's school).

4. And if they do ever eat in the classroom, there has to always be a clean, safe place for your child to sit. In my son's class, they haven't been eating in class at all until the STARS testing started last week. He now eats at a designated spot in the that is cleaned daily with a fresh rag.

5. And if your child has behavioral issues when he gets glutened, make sure this is noted! And if your child then gets into trouble either in the classroom or on the playground, have the school nurse assess him and contact you before punishment. If it's anything like me, he acts bipolar and truly is not in control of his actions. To have him punished only causes him to go into a severe, nearly suicidal depression, and he's only 5 1/2!

And make sure your son has a spare set of clothes, possibly even shoes, that are either always in his backpack or at school.

And either way, be prepared to be at his school a lot, particularly at first. No matter what, he will get glutened at some point (like when he loses his first tooth and can't stop himself from sticking his finger in his mouth constantly). So, the more you're there to explain what's going on, evaluate where possible problems might occur, and also making clear to your teacher (who hopefully will become your new best friend ) and the staff that you're there to help them as well as ensuring your son's health and well-being is safe and that he and his fellow students have a safe place to learn, the better it will be.

And remember, it's just kindergarten. The most important thing for your son and you to learn is how your school works. You're technically not even required to send your child to kindergarten. So do your best not to stress. (Now that's the really tough part! )