<p>One day at a time.</p>
<p>504 plans are for elementary, middle and high school…Reasearch the Americans with Disabilities Act. But standards for accommodation are a little lower at the postsecondary level because in theory it is not compulsory.</p>
<p>Your parents should be advocating for you. The school will talk to you, but they should be setting things up so you can do that.</p>
<p>For my daughter, I wrote the letters with description of the disability and the list of possible accommodations and had the doctors sign them. Doctors aren’t up on what accommodations might look like, though neuropsychologists will do this after a full evaluation.</p>
<p>I am assuming you are in a BM program in a state university-? You could consider a BA in music instead (fewer classes and less playing, more reading and writing) and play in extracurricular ensembles.</p>
<p>Legally, if you require a lower course load, you should get the same scholarship, prorated, so that you are covered until you finish. You would not lose Pell grants this way either.</p>
<p>But there are many other accommodations that people have listed on this thread, too.</p>
<p>I just want to make clear that my daughter has had an excellent experience with all this for her final years at college, but her freshman year was a bit of a nightmare. Once you are known in your department, things may get easier.</p>
<p>No matter how accommodating an administration may want to be, there is still a lot of discretion- everywhere- for professors in terms of policies for absences, extensions and make-ups.</p>
<p>Compmom,
Section 504 applies not only to K-12 education but also to the workplace and post-secondary education. It is not part of IDEA but rather it is monitored by the Office of Civil Rights. There is a lot of confusion among parents about 504 versus IDEA and one of them is the false belief that 504 is a weaker or lesser law. In fact section 504 is a very powerful law and those who violate it are at much greater risk of loosing federal funds and being punished then those who violate IDEA. All children who have an IEP are also covered by section 504.</p>
<p>IDEA is about the right of children get an appropriate K-12 education despite their disabilities. This means that curriculum might need to be modified and teaching methods altered. Goals might be different for a child with disabilities. The gist of the law is that all children should be able to “Access the Curriculum”. Section 504 is about the right of ALL INDIVIDUALS with disabilities to have appropriate accommodations to that they can function in their workplace and/or school. Section 504 ranges from making sure that workplaces are handicap accessible to providing access to brain material and hearing systems for those who need. Section 504 gives college students who need it extra time on tests. It also may give college students the right to use a computer for exams. It can provide protection so that a student can take less than the minimum required credits to remain a full time student. It can give a student permission to video tape or record classes. It is a powerful law. But keep in mind it is NOT a law that will allow for modifications in the curriculum or work such as was done in K-12 under IDEA.</p>