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School: IEP & 504

IEP vs. 504 plan: what's the difference, and which one does my child need?

IEPs and 504 plans both help students with disabilities succeed at school, but they come from different laws and offer different levels of support. Here's how to tell them apart.

Updated · 3 min read

In one sentence each

  • IEP (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act): specialized instruction and related services, such as speech therapy or OT, for a student whose disability affects their education, with measurable goals.
  • 504 plan (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act): accommodations so a student with a disability has equal access to learning, without specialized instruction.

Key differences

  • Eligibility: an IEP requires one of the IDEA categories *and* a need for specialized instruction; a 504 plan requires a disability that substantially limits a major life activity.
  • What's included: an IEP has annual goals, services and progress reports; a 504 plan lists accommodations.
  • Meetings and timelines: IEPs have strict federal and state timelines, annual reviews and three-year re-evaluations; 504 plans are reviewed periodically, often yearly.
  • Parent protections: both give you rights, but IEPs come with more detailed procedural safeguards.

How to choose

  • If your child mainly needs adjustments (extended time, seating, breaks, assistive tech), start with a 504 plan.
  • If your child needs to be *taught differently* or needs services like speech or OT at school, ask for an IEP evaluation.
  • You can request an evaluation for special education even if your child already has a 504 plan.

The process in Lumina

How Lumina helps, step by step

  1. 1

    One deadline type for each plan

    Lumina has IEP meeting, 504 plan and Health plan deadline types: each review has its own countdown and reminders.

  2. 2

    Accommodations on the profile

    Whatever the plan, the accommodations you've obtained live on your child's profile and in every summary.

  3. 3

    All documents in one vault

    IEP, 504 plan, health plan, evaluations: sorted by child and type in the encrypted vault.

Everything you write stays encrypted on your device: neither Lumina nor anyone else can read it.

Frequently asked questions

Can a child have both an IEP and a 504 plan?+

In practice, a student with an IEP gets their accommodations through the IEP. A separate health plan can exist alongside either.

Which is better?+

Neither: it depends on your child's needs. The IEP offers more, but only to students who need specialized instruction.

Everything about your child's care, finally in one place

Care notes, deadlines with reminders, an encrypted document vault and PDF summaries. Free during the beta, no credit card.

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This guide gives general information, not legal or medical advice. Rules and timelines vary by state and district and can change: check with your school district, your state agency or the official websites. Lumina is not a medical device.