<p>My son is a junior in HS, and is ADHD-inattentive type. He gets extended time on tests in school, and has a 504 plan.</p>
<p>We started the application process to get him 50% extended time on the SAT over a year ago. They have denied him repeatedly, requesting additional documentation each time. They never have said he doesn't qualify; instead, they say that his disability has not been properly proven. In the latest version, they told us that we have shown that he is ADHD, but haven't shown that he needs extra time. They wanted to see how he performed on timed and untimed tests.</p>
<p>In frustration, we signed him up to take the ACT in June, and sent the same testing to the ACT, which they approved in two days!</p>
<p>I have heard of the reverse also happening - kids getting granted extra time by the SAT and turned down for extra time by the ACT.</p>
<p>The moral of the story is that if your kid is applying for accommodations, apply to both the SAT and ACT, because you can't tell who will say yes, or who will say yes first. I wish we had done that - he could have taken the practice ACT (I think it's called the Plan) with extra time earlier this year. Because we hadn't received a positive response from the SAT by October, he had to take his PSAT's in the regular time allotted, and left a lot of questions blank.</p>
<p>I did some research on this subject, and the Americans With Disabilities ACT (ADA) was amended, and the new law went into effect in March. In summary, the ACT and SAT are now required to make quicker decisions, and must stop asking repeatedly for additional documentation. They must be specific in what they want to see right away, rather than dragging it on and on (like the SAT has done with my son - each re-review takes 7 weeks). The new law also says that if a student is already getting accommodations in school, that they must pay particular attention to that. It's hard for them to justify saying no if the student has been getting accommodations in school for a number of years. </p>
<p>If you can't get the answer that you want, you may have to pay for outside testing. There are also attorneys who can help get accommodations. One article I read said that your money is better spent on testing rather than attorneys, but you may want to consider both if necessary.</p>
<p>Letters from teachers stating that your child requires extra time can also be submitted in addition to testing to support a case.</p>
<p>I've read elsewhere on this board of students SAT scores jumping 400 points with extra time accommodations, or from 25 to 30 on the ACT. A score increase like that can not only make the difference between which school your kid gets into, but also how much financial aid or scholarships he or she gets. The money for outside testing or an attorney will probably be well spent if you really think they can get accommodations.</p>
<p>To give you some background on my son, he was diagnosed with ADHD in 2nd grade by a pediatric neurologist, and was re-evaluated less than three years ago by the school psychologist. His testing indicated a high IQ overall (124), but low scores on short-term memory and processing time, which were equivalent to someone with an IQ of 75. The school was surprised - they said they had never seen someone with his profile turned down by the SAT.</p>
<p>[As a side note, my son was signed up to take the SAT in June, as we were expecting him to be granted accommodations by then. When we signed him up for the ACT in June, I contacted the SAT, which states that test fees are non-refundable. I asked for a refund because he had been denied accommodations, and they issued a refund of the $59.]</p>