Back-to-School & 504 Plan Guide

Sep 27, 2026

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Back-to-School & 504 Plan Guide supports families of children with celiac disease or non-celiac wheat sensitivity in navigating school-age years safely. It explains why celiac disease is treated as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and how to advocate for needed resources and accommodations. Guidance covers private versus public schools, including how to request a 504 Plan, use physician documentation, discuss accommodations with administrators and teachers, and plan ongoing care and gluten-safe practices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Back-to-School & 504 Plan Guide

Back-to-School With Your Gluten-Free Child

Private Schools and Planning

Public Schools and the 504 Plan

Does My Child Need a 504 Plan?

How to Discuss Accommodations with Your School Administration and Teachers

Outline Accommodations for Celiac Disease Care

[FOUNDATION ](FOUNDATION celiac.org)[ celiac.or](FOUNDATION celiac.org)[g](FOUNDATION celiac.org) BACK-TO-SCHOOL & 504 PLAN GUIDE BACK-TO-SCHOOL WITH YOUR GLUTEN-FREE CHILD Having a child with celiac disease poses unique challenges both for you and your child. The lifestyle changes – and how they are managed – that come with a diagnosis of celiac disease can be diﬃcult during the school-age years. Celiac Disease Foundation has developed this Back-to-School Guide to help you and your child transition safely through these changes. In this Guide, we oﬀer suggestions forage-appropriate ways of managing celiac disease and non-celiac wheat sensitivity at school to ensure good health, proper development, and academic success for your child. Individuals with celiac disease and non-celiac wheat sensitivity have diﬀerent needs at diﬀerent times in their life. Because of these special needs, celiac disease is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This designation is particularly relevant in certain public establishments, like educational institutions. It is important to advocate for your child’s needs to ensure that you receive theresources and accommodations that are necessary for your child to live a healthy life and to thrive developmentally and socially. P A G E 1 818.716.1513 • INFO@CELIAC. ORG C H A P T E R 1 PRESCHOOL & ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Preschools and other private schools that are not publicly funded might not be required to accommodate disabilities such as celiac disease. Parents and caregivers might need to provide all gluten-free food if the preschool is not equipped or does not demonstrate an understanding of the child’s dietary needs. PRIVATE SCHOOLS We recommend starting with a note from your physician that explains: T H E D I A G N O S I S • How it impacts your child’s life and health (his/her symptoms and the risks to growth, brain development, and long-term health of small gluten exposures, even if symptoms are not apparent) . • The accommodations that you are requesting to keep your child gluten-free (see the model 504 Plan at the end of this Guide for an example) . Next, schedule a time to formally meet with the school administrator(s) and your child’s teachers, so that you can discuss and document all of your concerns in detail. Resources to assist you in explaining celiac disease and its impact may be found at [celiac.org/celiacdisease](celiac.org/celiacdisease). PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE 504 PLAN If your child is in a public school system, a 504 Plan is the federally recognized method of detailing any and all accommodations that need to be made by the school system to assure that a child with a disability receives an appropriate education. Section 504(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination in all institutions receiving federal ﬁnancial assistance, including public schools, on the basis of disability, including certain diseases. The law requires that public schools remove barriers to learning, which include accommodating a child’s gluten-free diet and disability needs. P A G E 2 818.716.1513 • INFO@CELIAC. ORG C H A P T E R 1 PRESCHOOL & ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DOES MY CHILD NEED A 504 PLAN? Parents might not think a 504 Plan is necessary if their child does not seem to have barriers to learning at school, or if the school administration is accommodating their child’s needs. Know that without this document, however, any verbal conversation you have with teachers and administration does not legally need to be honored. A 504 Plan must be renewed annually and can remain in place throughout the years within a school district, making transitions between grade levels easier. PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL In preschool and lower elementary school, a high level of parent involvement is required in managing a child’s health condition. Children do not yet understand long-term consequences to their health, nor do they have th

FAQs

Why is a 504 Plan important for children with celiac disease in public schools?

A 504 Plan is the federally recognized way to document accommodations a school must make so a child with a disability receives an appropriate education. Without the document, verbal conversations are not legally required to be honored.

What should you prepare before meeting with school administrators and teachers?

Start with a note from a physician explaining how celiac disease affects health and daily needs, and what accommodations are being requested. Then schedule a formal meeting to discuss and document concerns in detail.

What key points should be included when bringing a 504 Plan form or physician letter?

Include the diagnosis and date, how the disability restricts diet or activity, the major life activity affected, the child’s developmental level for managing celiac disease, label-reading and symptom communication abilities, handwashing, cross-contact safety, and foods to omit and substitute.

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Melati