504 plan (for mood disorder) and lunch anxiety?

Question

My son has a 504 plan with accomodations of a 1:1 aide, school counselling, social skills group, meds, behavioral intervention plan... He has a severe mood disorder with social anxiety. He started kindergarten yesterday. He hates it. They have also accomodated him to be on the school bus van (They call it the SPED bus) instead of the regular school bus. He told me he gets nervous. He especially gets very nervous, and hates lunch. He is in the cafeteria with about 150 other kids. He has always had social anxiety and not liked to eat in public or even at medium to large size family gatherings. I talked to his teacher today and she told me that there is no way around that... he needs to eat in the cafeteria with the other kids and that is just how it is. With his 1:1 aid I thought maybe they would be able to accomodate him somewhere else, like him being able to eat in the class. She said they can not do that. Do you think there is some way that they should be able to accomodate him at lunch? He gets so much anxiety about this that his belly does not feel well and he chews his sleeves.

Answer 1

If you don't start working on these behaviors now - you will have a 50 year old son who will never come out of his room.  I know that sounds harsh but - lets keep that in the back of your mind.

I would guess that the 504 is soon not going to be enough for him.  You will need an evaluation, the accomodations that you are getting are really on the edge of beyond a 504.  You will need an IEP.  A 504 does NOT provide special education staff it is a regular education program.  Your child will need the expertise of special education staff to work through his issues of anxiety as well as some good outside counseling.

This looks like some significant issues that need to be addressed by medical professionals as well as school special education professionals.

Additional info added in response to your addition:

What they are looking for is the Educational Impact of his issues - which is the criteria for getting any special education services.  It is not enough to 'have' a disability - schools have to prove that it impacts a students learning.  I would guess that with Anxiety this intense he will qualify for EBD at least.

Answer 2

Contact your local VESID office or Board of Education office and request the the Part 200's and the 504 plan accomodations book. I am not sure if your local office will know them by those titles, the Part 200's are the reuglations for Special Education, IEP etc; the 504 book is the same thing but for 504 plans.  I am confused if he has a 504 plan or an IEP which are two very different documents and address different situations. Most accomodations for a 504 plan can be justified through medical documentation while most IEP accomodations need cognitive testing documentations among other things.

There is alot of more information I think you may need but start with the above books

Answer 3

I wonder if the eating in the cafeteria is by order of the health department.  If so, there's no way of getting around it.  The health department rules will out weight your son's desires to eat somewhere else.  

Answer 4

it seem that should be doable--schools have given kids with allergies separate lunch rooms

it woudl be nice if he could start to invite a friend to eat with him-------maybe they coudl use a classroom where a teacher has a prep andit in teh class--even if tehy have to pay teh teacher for 'extra duty'

it may be against the rules for an aide to be alone with a child---a provision may be necessary for this