<p>Oh by the way just took my SAT today! Even though I wasn’t approved for extended time I think I did relatively well! If you want numbers I have a 2.7 gpa with 1 ap course on my plate. But ya thanks to all of those who gave me advice on what to do!</p>
<p>malikai, sorry but you’re a bit caustic. My daughter was recently diagnosed as double gifted. I was the one that had her tested, because the school insisted she could possibly have an LD. She scored in the top percentiles in every category of our state testing, and was identified as gifted in 3rd grade. But once she hit middle school she had difficulties (but still scored exceptionally well on the state tests). Yes, she was intelligent enough to compensate on those tests, and finds them “very easy” even though everyone tells her they are not. Like hathit, her teachers did not recognize it as a learning disability but instead labeled her as lazy. It’s not uncommon among double gifted students. The teachers think they’re not trying, when in fact they’re trying harder than everyone else, and not understanding why what used to be easy is now so difficult. In her case, it his about the time when students are expected to “read to learn” after they “learn to read” in elementary school.</p>
<p>Im just ranting away at this point… but I guess thats because I keep skipping over and finding new things to write about.
Anyways, in regards to funeralparty, I noticed myself daydreaming in class all the time. One instance was in my freshman bio class. I totally lost focus and was daydreaming for a good few minutes. I have no idea what it was about but I can tell you that it definitely happened a lot. My mom and I talked about ADD a lot before we took the online test because I was very skeptical, the online test was more of a way for my mom to insist that I get it checked out with a real doctor.</p>
<p>Scoutmom, I didnt really provide enough information as to my ADD, so it obviously raised flags in maikai’s mind that I am just trying to get it for the SAT.</p>
<p>It wasnt like we asked for accommodations willy nilly, I went to a physiologist (those are the ones who do all the boring tests in order to diagnose a patient right?) for most of my junior year until she made a diagnoses back in March. Keep in mind I was going once a week for 2 hours every day. I have a pretty bad gpa, so even with some kind of outstanding need to go to an amazing college, it is not really applicable to say that I am trying to get accommodations to “scam the system”.</p>
<p>Hathit I think you and your mom are doing everything possible.
Remember that many very, very successful people have ADD. There are many options available to you.
Try to read some of the books by the ADD expert Dr. Edward Hallowell. My sister highly recommends them.
Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Thanks mythreesons! 
I am trying my best to figure it out!</p>
<p>hathit,</p>
<p>Yes, the missing details were the most important ones in this case. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>Don’t be afraid of meds. I’ve been taking them for decades and other than face tic and third ear, I’m fine. 
</p>
<p>Seriously… meds are a game changer. With a mild case, you’ll probably be completely “normal”. If a fat person could take a pill, with no significant side effects, and be thin and healthy, everyone would say “take the pill.” It’s the same here. The issue just goes away. You’ll also, over time, become aware of when the meds are wearing off… which is very valuable. One of the worst things for me was not realizing my state.</p>
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<p>Sometimes College Board rejection comes from the counselors not following the requirements properly - either the appropriate tests have not been done, the correct paperwork has not been filled out, and the minimum req’d time for an IEP/504 plan has not been fulfilled. </p>
<p>An IEP/504 plan has to be in place for at least 4 months and the student has to show that they are using it before an application for accommodation can be requested. So it sounds like the counselor did not wait. If you have an SSD coordinator at your school who has done this before, they would know this so perhaps the counselor was inexperienced. </p>
<p>Go over the paperwork again with your mom, and perhaps even the counselor to make sure everything has been filled out correctly. Go to College Board site to see if you have done the req’d steps. If you are missing tests, data, teacher questionnaires, and have waited the appropriate time, then try to appeal. Most often than not, people find mistakes and after appealing, they get the approval they need. Good Luck!</p>
<p>What ognopgod said.</p>
<p>Also, consider my first reaction to your story. If you framed your story similarly, I think you’d get a similar reaction from the College Board.</p>
<p>I don’t know what’s on those forms, my son who also suffers from a mild to moderate case of ADD since elementary school, did not apply for extended time since his meds completely remove his obstacle (very lucky, like me). He essentially has no learning disability while on meds. He got a 31 on his ACT and will be pursuing a career in science/engineering, just like his dad. </p>
<p>You’ll find many “disabled” feel this way. My wife, who lost her leg to cancer, does not consider herself disabled with her prosthesis on and will not park in a disabled spot or get on planes early unless she is having a problem. People with true disabilities tend to respect others with disabilities and, if we can, make room for the truly disabled. Think about that, the next time you’re at home depot and you see someone park in a disabled spot, then merrily jump out of their car and walk with a bounce in their step. Makes us sick. I try to imagine they are picking up a disabled someone, but it’s hard. But I digress.</p>
<p>Getting back to your story. I imagine you had to give some sort of description of your disability, along with the requisite paperwork. If so, you probably framed your story in a similar way, which just about screams “SCAM!” You literally left out every single relevant detail which gave any indication at all that you really had ADD. I was actually quite shocked that so many people on this thread took those incredibly suspicious details and ran with them.</p>
<p>On re-submission, consider the mindset of the reader. You would not believe how many sophomores suddenly find out they have ADD… lucky enough… just in time to qualify for more time on a test that can very powerfully influence their academic future. :-\ </p>
<p>The percentage of kids diagnosed with ADD in HS is in the low single digits. Since ADD/ADHD is considered something you are born with, these late on-settters are considered the “stragglers” who somehow evaded the system. Either their symptoms are so mild they were unnoticeable previously, or they come from impoverished/urban/remote areas where the education staff is either overwhelmed or under trained and/or there is limited availability to healthcare. So if you come from a typical American suburban HS and are on a college track, anyone reading your story will immediately jump to the conclusion you are either scamming or have such a mild condition as to not warrant extra time. It is your job to convince them otherwise.</p>
<p>And one last suggestion… use meds. If you want to try that computer program stuff, go ahead, but do it from the context of reducing your meds. </p>
<p>And, aw heck, I’ll say it. I’m not one for political correctness. I think the whole computer program thing is BS. This feels like just another set of people thinking ADD/ADHD can be overcome with enough will power and concentration… so these idiots think they can somehow teach you how to do that with their program. Hogwash! I think they do a disservice to families who truly suffer with this affliction.</p>
<p>I’m all for trying new stuff. You never know for sure until you try. But again, approach it from the point of trying to reduce meds, not replace them. With ADD, you are never in a truly cognitive state. What your “physiologist” is suggesting is like trying to learn to drive starting with your car spinning out of control. It’s just crazy.</p>
<p>Hopefully, you meant to write “psychiatrist”… and I certainly hope you didn’t mean “psychologist”. But the later would explain why they would point you toward a facockta computer program instead of doing the right thing and prescribing meds. ;-)</p>
<p>Maikai, my D has ADHD-inattentive, so, no, teachers did not recognize the signs. In middle school her teacher referred to her as “already on summer vacation”, and other teachers felt she simply wasn’t putting in the effort to do her work and not working at her potential. They did not notice/know/understand that she was able to work on projects by hyper focusing, received top scores on tests when they were held in a very quiet room, but couldn’t handle/follow the classroom discussions/work when the room was full of distractions and noise. <em>Sigh</em>, all too often teachers would place my quiet well behaved D toward the back of the classroom in-between talkative disruptive students (although she had asked to be seated in front).</p>
<p>Psychiatrist! That’s the one, I always seem to get them mixed up. The paperwork was okay, but my psychiatrist said we either asked for too much extra time, or I might get rejected because I got really good scores on the tests I took. However, she said the ADD did show throughout most of the tests.
Maikai, I might as well try out the computer program thing! If it works it works right?</p>
<p>hatit, </p>
<p>Is this some sort of miracle computer program? Do you really think the results (if there are any results… I’m still very skeptical) will be in time for your schooling?</p>
<p>And what would be the problem of getting yourself mentally centered, then trying to use this program to ween yourself to a lower dose or off entirely (those last three words spoken sarcastically). My son and I don’t take meds on the weekends, unless we have something important to do. We also tend not to re-dose in the evenings, again, unless there is need. Why couldn’t you do the same and use the program on weekends and evenings?</p>
<p>BTW, we don’t dose when we don’t have to out of both disdain for constantly being on meds, even if helpful (so I understand you a little in that regard), and fear of building tolerance. We both know there is only little evidence of building tolerance, but the gift meds provide is so important to both of us that we err on the side of caution.</p>
<p>I just can’t wrap my brain around the idea that you wouldn’t want the relief meds can give. But perhaps you don’t understand, having not taken any meds yet. Why not try a sample from your doctor? </p>
<p>And I’m at a complete loss why your doctor isn’t suggesting the same thing to you… unless he is and you’re leaving that important fact out too! ;-)</p>
<p>Well as I explained before I would rather do something that didnt involve medication. The computer program has an 80% success rate, after reading up on it I found thats it’s relatively new (10 years old). It was approved by the ADHD something or other that apparently cant approve anything until after they have one of those long lecture things where psychiatrists present evidence as to why it works. It’s over the course of five weeks, so ill by done by the time summer ends!</p>
<p>[sigh]
Please point us all to this ADHD cure in the form of a computer program.</p>
<p>Hey OP if you’re still around:</p>
<p>Did you also apply for extended time on the ACT? Sometimes students will be approved for ET on that test even if they were rejected for ET on the SAT. Sometimes the other way around. Worth a try. You should try both tests anyway to see if you do better on one or the other, or prefer either format. D2 (who got accommodations on both) ended up preferring having only 4 sections on the ACT instead of the 10 on the SAT, though she’s yet to see her SAT score. </p>
<p>It is possible to appeal a rejected request for accommodations. </p>
<p>Dunno about this computer program, but D2 (rising high school senior) has really gotten a lot out of the book “College Confidence with ADD” by Michael Sandler. Worth a look.</p>
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<p>D2’s one of those “rarities” who was missed–though unfortunately not rare at all in our school system. If you’re fortunate enough to have a district or school that does train its teachers to recognize ADD you’re very lucky.</p>
<p>@hathit - My dd was on meds for about 6 months after she was diagnosed. The difference was vast to us, but she hated life. She did a computer-based therapy, and she also figured out how to manage her ADD herself (with support) and she’s been doing very well for years. (She was diagnosed in third grade and is in hs now). Don’t rule out all needs just on principle - sometimes they give you real assistance, even if it’s only to know the difference between states of attention - but don’t be afraid to try alternatives either.</p>
<p>I’m glad you’re diagnosed, and I how you can get the accommodations the next time, I’d you need them.</p>
<p>Maikai, your posts are riddled with assumptive, sweeping generalizalizations regarding people who are receiving late diagnosese . I don’t see a hint of evidence in your posts that demonstrates that ADHD has any causal relationship with performance in school, yet you willfully will purport that the vast majority of psychiatrists have it wrong. You assume that correlational data between bad grades and LDs automatically means that whether someone needs more time on tests depends on whether they’re struggling with school or not.</p>
<p>I am a proof of concept that you are wrong. I was diagnosed in 3rd grade, never received medication, and failed most of my way through elementary school in middle school. But in my sophomore year of HS, my semester GPA went from a 2.5 to a 3.9. How is this possible? I put in the massive amount of effort, that was it. Last semester it took me 3 hours to complete my alg II final, yet I got a 98 on it.</p>
<p>Also, what’s this about prescription drugs being a silver bullet to mild learning disabilities? Dude, FYI, adderall doesn’t work for everybody.</p>
<p>@Sithley I didnt apply for extended time on the ACT because I heard its practically impossible to get extended time, even if you get it for the SAT. We just made an appeal against the first rejection. Thanks for the book suggestion!</p>
<p>@sakacar thats exactly why I am trying the computer program! Thanks for the story! It helps to know other people have had the same experience and succeeded.</p>