Exploring Family Experiences With Section 504 Plans for Their Autistic Children

Although access to inclusive education should be available for all students with disabilities, the extant literature has focused mainly on access to Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) without addressing access to Sect. 504 of the American Rehabilitation Act. Over 1.38 million students are served by Sect. 504 in public schools, yet little is known about their experiences. Specifically, little is known about the experiences of families of autistic students with Sect. 504; given the heterogeneity of autism, it is likely that many autistic students qualify for Sect. 504 (and not IEPs). The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of families of children with autism with access to Sect. 504 in school settings. Altogether, 23 families participated in individual interviews about their initial experiences accessing Sect. 504, their input into the Sect. 504 plan, and the implementation of the Sect. 504 plan. Some families reported positive experiences with Sect. 504. When positive experiences occurred, it was largely due to having supportive school professionals. Unfortunately, most participants reported negative experiences with access to Sect. 504 including the school being unwilling to provide accommodations. Implications for future research include the need to develop and test interventions to improve supports under Sect. 504.