504/School Play

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the school play an extracurricular activity if the daughter isn’t taking it as a class? I don’t think 504s cover extracurricular activities.

504s do cover extracurriculars if those extracurriculars benefit from federal funds, such as taking place in a public school building.

If a kid has a 504 accommodation that applies during, such as permission for a kid with T1D to carry snacks and a phone connected to their glucose monitor, or large print scripts for a student with a vision impairment.

If OP’s kid has an accommodation that would apply as opposed to something like extra time on tests or copy of a teacher’s notes which aren’t relevant, then they should get that accommodation. But 504’s don’t change grading, kids are held to the same standard, and my guess is that the audition will be held to the same standard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the school play an extracurricular activity if the daughter isn’t taking it as a class? I don’t think 504s cover extracurricular activities.

504s do cover extracurriculars if those extracurriculars benefit from federal funds, such as taking place in a public school building.

If a kid has a 504 accommodation that applies during, such as permission for a kid with T1D to carry snacks and a phone connected to their glucose monitor, or large print scripts for a student with a vision impairment.

If OP’s kid has an accommodation that would apply as opposed to something like extra time on tests or copy of a teacher’s notes which aren’t relevant, then they should get that accommodation. But 504’s don’t change grading, kids are held to the same standard, and my guess is that the audition will be held to the same standard.

Correct but it would not cover what OP is envisioning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a mom of a theater kid with anxiety, I can assure you that MANY theater kids have anxiety and many of them perform not as well at auditions due to nerves. My dd doesn’t have anxiety during a show after months of rehearsals, but auditions are terrible for her. You know what helped? Doing more auditions. Preparing. Getting older.

If your daughter knows you told the director about the 504, she might not feel that she actually earned a spot. Don’t take that away from her. Maybe she’ll be small parts for now, ensemble roles, background, tech crew. If she thinks she got a pity role or mommy intervened, it may not help her manage her anxiety, it may do the exact opposite of what you hope for.

Excellent points. Anxiety is not treated with accommodation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a mom of a theater kid with anxiety, I can assure you that MANY theater kids have anxiety and many of them perform not as well at auditions due to nerves. My dd doesn’t have anxiety during a show after months of rehearsals, but auditions are terrible for her. You know what helped? Doing more auditions. Preparing. Getting older.

If your daughter knows you told the director about the 504, she might not feel that she actually earned a spot. Don’t take that away from her. Maybe she’ll be small parts for now, ensemble roles, background, tech crew. If she thinks she got a pity role or mommy intervened, it may not help her manage her anxiety, it may do the exact opposite of what you hope for.

Excellent points. Anxiety is not treated with accommodation.

Not that I can envision an accommodation that would lead to success for OP’s child. But schools don’t treat anxiety so it is irrelevant that anxiety is treated with an accommodation. Accommodations level the playing field.

If OP’s child is interested in theater, there are lots of ways to get her foot in the door besides a role in the show. I’ve seen lots of kids start activities and sports in more of a support role and then move into the role they really want. Good luck to her and kudos for putting herself out there.

[Anonymous]

I think it might be helpful to recast this as though it were sports to help OP get some perspective

Is it too much to communicate with the coach at my child’s school about my child’s 504? DC has not played soccer before but tried out for the team, so the teacher is probably unaware of the 504 and I feel like she should take into account that she will have been anxious during the tryouts which the coach should take into account when forming the team.

Unlike sports, most high schools in MCPS do no cut theater. So your child will get some sort of role, but it won't be a lead and that won't be because of their disability. It's because theater is a huge commitment, and the director, and student directors, don't know whether your child is committed, whether they can memorize, whether they can get in sync for the choreo. It would be borderline irresponsible to give a sizeable role to a total newcomer unless that person brought a long record of outside-of-school acting bona fides that suggest the ability to get off book and work with the rest of the cast.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of no cut theater.

My school had too much female talent. I was only on stage 3 times in high school. 1 role with lines.

Even kids without IEPs screw up auditions. I don't understand how anyone could expect directors to mentally adjust everyone's auditions based on how well the auditioned felt their performance represented their capability.

Based on my experience, you have to be able to understand that you might never get the part you want or any part. There were things I could have done to improve my candidacy (voice lessons, befriending an audition pianist, etc.). But I wasn't that committed. Others were.

[Anonymous]

It’s fine to ask for accommodations during a play audition because of anxiety, but the accommodation isn’t “the child gets the part even if her audition isn’t good.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a mom of a theater kid with anxiety, I can assure you that MANY theater kids have anxiety and many of them perform not as well at auditions due to nerves. My dd doesn’t have anxiety during a show after months of rehearsals, but auditions are terrible for her. You know what helped? Doing more auditions. Preparing. Getting older.

If your daughter knows you told the director about the 504, she might not feel that she actually earned a spot. Don’t take that away from her. Maybe she’ll be small parts for now, ensemble roles, background, tech crew. If she thinks she got a pity role or mommy intervened, it may not help her manage her anxiety, it may do the exact opposite of what you hope for.

Excellent points. Anxiety is not treated with accommodation.

Accommodations aren’t treatments for any condition. They are tools that help people access environments and activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a mom of a theater kid with anxiety, I can assure you that MANY theater kids have anxiety and many of them perform not as well at auditions due to nerves. My dd doesn’t have anxiety during a show after months of rehearsals, but auditions are terrible for her. You know what helped? Doing more auditions. Preparing. Getting older.

If your daughter knows you told the director about the 504, she might not feel that she actually earned a spot. Don’t take that away from her. Maybe she’ll be small parts for now, ensemble roles, background, tech crew. If she thinks she got a pity role or mommy intervened, it may not help her manage her anxiety, it may do the exact opposite of what you hope for.

Excellent points. Anxiety is not treated with accommodation.

Accommodations aren’t treatments for any condition. They are tools that help people access environments and activities.

Let me clarify - accommodations are counter-therapeutic for anxiety. They make it worse. A kid with therapy so severe that it impacts school (like school refusal) should have an IEP and the goals should be exposure (gradual if called for) not accommodation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a mom of a theater kid with anxiety, I can assure you that MANY theater kids have anxiety and many of them perform not as well at auditions due to nerves. My dd doesn’t have anxiety during a show after months of rehearsals, but auditions are terrible for her. You know what helped? Doing more auditions. Preparing. Getting older.

If your daughter knows you told the director about the 504, she might not feel that she actually earned a spot. Don’t take that away from her. Maybe she’ll be small parts for now, ensemble roles, background, tech crew. If she thinks she got a pity role or mommy intervened, it may not help her manage her anxiety, it may do the exact opposite of what you hope for.

Excellent points. Anxiety is not treated with accommodation.

Accommodations aren’t treatments for any condition. They are tools that help people access environments and activities.

Let me clarify - accommodations are counter-therapeutic for anxiety. They make it worse. A kid with therapy so severe that it impacts school (like school refusal) should have an IEP and the goals should be exposure (gradual if called for) not accommodation.

Gradual exposure would be an accommodation.

Hard to imagine what that means in the context of theater auditions, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a mom of a theater kid with anxiety, I can assure you that MANY theater kids have anxiety and many of them perform not as well at auditions due to nerves. My dd doesn’t have anxiety during a show after months of rehearsals, but auditions are terrible for her. You know what helped? Doing more auditions. Preparing. Getting older.

If your daughter knows you told the director about the 504, she might not feel that she actually earned a spot. Don’t take that away from her. Maybe she’ll be small parts for now, ensemble roles, background, tech crew. If she thinks she got a pity role or mommy intervened, it may not help her manage her anxiety, it may do the exact opposite of what you hope for.

+1.

+1
Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the school play an extracurricular activity if the daughter isn’t taking it as a class? I don’t think 504s cover extracurricular activities.

j

If it happens at school or on the school bus, even if it is before, after or during lunch, it is/can be covered by a 504. For example, a school play director might give a child more time to learn lines, let them use a small cue card for longer than others, direct them to an audio recording of the play, etc.

Why is it covered by a 504? It's happening on school property, with the support of school personnel.

https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.afterschool.crabtree.htmlf

The only question in the 504 scenario is what constitutes a "reasonable accommodation"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a mom of a theater kid with anxiety, I can assure you that MANY theater kids have anxiety and many of them perform not as well at auditions due to nerves. My dd doesn’t have anxiety during a show after months of rehearsals, but auditions are terrible for her. You know what helped? Doing more auditions. Preparing. Getting older.

If your daughter knows you told the director about the 504, she might not feel that she actually earned a spot. Don’t take that away from her. Maybe she’ll be small parts for now, ensemble roles, background, tech crew. If she thinks she got a pity role or mommy intervened, it may not help her manage her anxiety, it may do the exact opposite of what you hope for.

Excellent points. Anxiety is not treated with accommodation.

Accommodations aren’t treatments for any condition. They are tools that help people access environments and activities.

Let me clarify - accommodations are counter-therapeutic for anxiety. They make it worse. A kid with therapy so severe that it impacts school (like school refusal) should have an IEP and the goals should be exposure (gradual if called for) not accommodation.

Gradual exposure would be an accommodation.

Hard to imagine what that means in the context of theater auditions, though.

No it would not be - anxiety so severe that is needs behavior supports to access school qualifies for an IEP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the school play an extracurricular activity if the daughter isn’t taking it as a class? I don’t think 504s cover extracurricular activities.

j

If it happens at school or on the school bus, even if it is before, after or during lunch, it is/can be covered by a 504. For example, a school play director might give a child more time to learn lines, let them use a small cue card for longer than others, direct them to an audio recording of the play, etc.

Why is it covered by a 504? It's happening on school property, with the support of school personnel.

https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.afterschool.crabtree.htmlf

The only question in the 504 scenario is what constitutes a "reasonable accommodation"?

At a certain point you are going to burn yourself and your child and the school staff out if you insist on everything being a federal case. Yes I do believe that extracurriculars should be sensitive to SN but if you’re having to wave the 504 around you might need to stop for a minute and reflect on whether the activity is a good fit.

[Anonymous]

A third of some high schools have an IEP or 504.