QC: School Accommodations For Hypermobility And Chronic Symptoms

Waiting for a perfect diagnosis can cost your child months or years of support at school, and Dr. Sarah Cohen Solomon wants families to know they don’t have to wait. I sit down with Dr. Cohen Solomon, a board-certified pediatrician who specializes in hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and related conditions like POTS, MCAS, and dysautonomia. She also speaks as someone who has lived through chronic pain, misdiagnoses, and medical gaslighting, which gives her a rare, practical lens on what “whole-person care” looks like for kids who are often dismissed. 

We dig into one of the biggest real-world challenges parents face: helping hypermobile students and other kids with chronic symptoms function in school. That includes learners navigating autism, ADHD, endometriosis, fatigue, pain, and sensory overload. Dr. Cohen Solomon explains how the accommodations process can be more than paperwork. Done well, it teaches self-advocacy, helps kids learn when to speak up, and reinforces a powerful message: you’re allowed to take up space and have your needs met. We also talk honestly about the downside, like scarce resources and the frustrating reality that families sometimes have to fight for basic supports. 

Then we get concrete about school accommodations and disability rights, including the difference between a 504 plan and an IEP, plus the kinds of symptoms a 504 plan can address. Think far beyond extended test time: mobility challenges between classes, classroom temperature triggers, allergies, and other chronic symptom disruptions can all matter. The most important point: you can request a 504 evaluation based on symptoms, even without a formal diagnosis, and you can start the process with a clear letter to the school. 

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Transcript

Quick Connect Format And Disclaimer

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Life moves fast, and so should the answers to your biggest questions. Welcome to Indo Batteries Quick Connect, your direct line to expert insights. Short, powerful, and right to the point. You send in the questions, I bring in the experts, and in just five minutes, you get the knowledge you need. No long episodes, no extra time needed. And just remember, expert opinions shared here are for general information and not for personalized medical advice. Always consult your provider for your case-specific guidance. Got a question? Send it in, and let's quickly get you the answers. I'm your host, Alana, and it's time to connect.

Meet Dr. Sarah Cohen Solomon

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Today I am joined by my guest, Dr. Sarah Cohen Solomon, a board-certified pediatrician and specialist in hypermobile Eiler Stenlow syndrome and related conditions, including POTS, MCAS, and dysautonomia. But what makes her perspective especially powerful is that she's not just a physician, she's also a patient. After years of navigating chronic pain, misdiagnoses, and medical gaslighting herself, Dr. Cohen Solomon now combines clinical expertise with lived experience to deliver truly whole person care. Her work is reshaping how we understand and treat complex, often overlooked conditions, especially in kids who are too often dismissed. Please help me in welcoming Dr. Sarah Cohen Solomon to the table.

The School Support Question

SPEAKER_00 1:34

You know, we talk about the support in the doctor's office and how to approach it there, but I think something that many of us as parents and you know, people that have walked through this that we struggle with is how do we help our kids when they are hypermobile and they need help and support in school? And this this applies to those with endometriosis, hypermobility spectrum disorders of any range. And especially for those that are on the autism spectrum, ADHD or or whatever the case is, like, how do we support them in their growing and learning environment? What are some practical tools that we can, as parents and teachers or educators, do for these students?

Why Accommodations Teach Self-Advocacy

SPEAKER_00 2:15

I love this subject.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

It's so important. So we're gonna begin. So first and foremost, I think one of the one of the main things to recognize is that the process of obtaining accommodations can actually be so helpful for learning how and when to uh uh to voice your own needs and and uh and advocate for yourself through the process of obtaining accommodations. Uh because the the goal and the experience is often that you then learn that you're allowed to take up space. You're allowed to have your individual needs met. Now, oftentimes, unfortunately, because resources are scarce and there's a lot of misunderstanding, too frequently people end up having to fight for their accommodations. And that's that's a that's the bad lesson. But then you learn to be able to do it because you might need to be able to do it in the future. So it's still a good skill to have. But one of the things that if if you all learn one thing for me today, accommodations, getting an accommodation in a public school setting, you do not need to have a formal diagnosis of anything in order to qualify for an accommodation.

504 Plans Vs IEPs And Eligibility

SPEAKER_01 3:20

So if we're talking about a 504 plan specifically, this is these are plans that have to do with addressing medical uh issues or symptoms that arise uh that are chronic. So it has to, it's not like a broken leg that's gonna go away. This is something expected to hang around, um, which is, by the way, distinct from an IEP plan, that has to do with adjusting educational goals and outcomes based on what an individual might need. And there is absolutely overlap between the two, which confuses everybody. But the 504 plan is usually where my, you know, purview is because we're talking about things that affect mobility, getting up and back to class, classrooms being difficult on the physical functioning of your body, cold air in the classroom, hot air in the classroom, allergies in the classroom, that all is under the umbrella of a 504 plan. But also, so is extended test time, which is what we hear about more. But the most important point I absolutely must make is that if you have chronic symptoms that are disrupting an element of daily functionality, you are entitled to a 504 plan, or at least getting evaluated for a 504 plan. You do not need a formal diagnosis, you need symptoms. And unfortunately, a lot of schools, I think with the best of intentions, I hope, but a lot of the time that understanding is missed. And so schools insist on having a physician who has finalized the diagnosis before they're willing to give a full evaluation for a 504 plan. That is not how the law works. I am not a legal expert, so I should be careful how I say that, but that I know. And so what people need to understand is that if your child is struggling, and I'd love it if accommodations were in place before a child struggles, that is a long-term goal. But if you're seeing that your child is struggling because of physical symptoms or even emotional symptoms, whatever it is, you can and should have an evaluation for whether accommodations are appropriate and what

How To Start The 504 Process

SPEAKER_01 5:11

those might be. Now you can look online. I I'll I'll be able to post them on my own website shortly, but you can look online for 504 plan like templates. Okay. And, you know, step-by-step instructions on how to get one, what to ask the school for. But basically, if you go into the school with a letter that says, I have these concerns about these symptoms that my child is experiencing, you don't need a diagnosis. You just send them that letter, you get it signed and dated, and they are required by law to evaluate. Now it might not land the way you want it to land, but that's how you start the process. And it is so important to know that and so important to be able to get those resources moving and grooving. I can't emphasize

Wrap Up And Send Questions

SPEAKER_01 5:50

it enough.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

That's a wrap for this quick connect. I hope today's insights helped you move forward with more clarity and confidence. Do you have more questions? Keep them coming. Send them in, and I'll bring you the expert answers. You can send them in by using the link in the top of the description of this podcast episode or by emailing contact at indobattery.com or visiting the Indobattery.com contact page. Until next time, keep feeling empowered through knowledge.