IEP-Extended time in HS, history for college

Parent Cafe
1

<p>My son is in 11th grade with an IEP that permits extended time for tests/quizes. It does not define the amount of extended time. </p>

<p>If I want it defined the school will only list 50% additional of the normal test time.</p>

<p>I know colleges do not legally have to follow IEP, but many will. With that in mind, would it be better to have the IEP in clearly defined terms to show a history when we eventually approach college? Or is it best to leave it vague?</p>

<p>College Board has already denied extended time based upon his 10th grade PSAT. An appeal will not be made. So we are only discussing having a track record of the IEP when discussing with colleges after acceptances.</p>

2

<p>I think it can only help to have the IEP as detailed as possible.
I don’t think a college will give unlimited times on tests- but that would be something to ask the learning support office.</p>

3

<p>Colleges may well require a psychoeducational evaluation, often one that has been done within 2 or 3 years. A high school IEP alone is probably not enough. It would be best to discuss the requirements with the disabilities office at the college(s) your son may be considering. </p>

<p>Here is what one college requires in general:</p>

<p>Documentation provided by any student with a disability seeking reasonable accommodations must:</p>

<p>•clearly state the diagnosed disability or disabilities
•describe the functional limitations resulting from the disability or disabilities
•be current
•include complete educational, developmental, and medical history relevant to the disability for which testing accommodations are being requested
•include a list of all test instruments used in the evaluation report and relevant subtest scores used to document the stated disability (this requirement does not apply to physical or sensory disabilities of a permanent or unchanging nature)
•describe the specific accommodations requested
•adequately support each of the requested testing accommodation(s)
•be typed or printed on official letterhead and be signed by an evaluator qualified to make the diagnosis (include information about license or certification and area of specialization).</p>

<p>Documentation required for an ADHD accomodation:</p>

<p>To document an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a student must submit a current report (no more than three years old) based on the results of a comprehensive evaluation by a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist experienced in the area of ADHD. The report must include the following information:</p>

<p>•Clear statement of a diagnosis of ADHD and the level of severity
•Identification of procedures and measures used to make the diagnosis
•Summary of a thorough diagnostic interview with relevant information about the individual’s history, including evidence of early onset, and symptoms across multiple settings
•Description of current symptoms that meet diagnostic criteria
•Ruling out of alternative diagnoses or explanations for the symptoms
•Analysis of evaluation results, including relevant test data, to substantiate the diagnosis
•Explanation of how current symptoms cause significant limitations in a college environment
•Recommendations for appropriate accommodations to help compensate for the ADD, with a rationale for each one</p>

<p>Documentation required for accomodation of a learning disability:</p>

<p>To document a learning disability, a student must submit a current report (no more than three years old) from a comprehensive psycho-educational or neuropsychological evaluation performed by a licensed psychologist or certified school psychologist experienced in evaluating LD in young adults and adults. The report must include the following information: a clear statement diagnosing LD; data and analysis substantiating the diagnosis including standard scores and percentiles; identification of current deficits that significantly limit academic performance; and recommendations for reasonable accommodations with a rationale for each one. At a minimum, the following components must be included:</p>

<p>•Summary of a thorough diagnostic interview including educational history
•Assessment of cognitive functioning based upon results of one of the following tests:
◦WechslerAdult Intelligence Scale - III (WAIS-III)
◦Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery III (WJ3), Tests of Cognitive Ability
◦The Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale, 4th edition
◦Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Scale
•Data about academic achievement including current levels of reading, mathematics, writing, and spelling ability. Suggested achievement tests include the following:
◦Wechsler Individual Achievement Test
◦WJ3, Tests of Achievement
◦Stanford Test of Academic Skills
◦Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults
•Information about specific aspects of information processing (e.g., visual, auditory, and spatial perception; processing speed; short and long term memory; executive functioning), including performance under timed conditions, from measures such as the following:
◦WAIS III
◦WJ3, Tests of Cognitive Ability and Tests of Achievement.
◦Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude (DTLA-4 or DTLA-Adult)
◦Nelson-Denny Reading Test</p>

4

<p>Well, in this case, a detailed IEP would NOT be helpful as OP wants unlimted time and if the hs specifies, it will say 50% extra time. </p>

<p>OP can leave it vague, but then the school may allow less than 50%. If the current school would say 50%, I’d ask them to specify and then ask the college for 50% extra time. Also, if the track record is actually 50% aren’t you really asking for more time than S “deserves” - - assuming orig assessment was correct and the hs is in compliance w/ that assessment?</p>

5

<p>And for an accommodation like extended time…there needs to be sufficient data to support that this was a necessary accommodation for the student in high school and was needed for all assessment situations.</p>

<p>Many high school students are reassessed in 11th or 12th grade by the staff at the high schools for just this reason…to provide sufficient data to the colleges to consider.</p>

<p>Even so, your best bet is to contact EACH college disability office to see how these things are handled at each college. Your student will likely need to be willing to advocate for themselves (there won’t be a special ed case manager to do so)…and to be willing to work with the disabilities office. </p>

<p>Schools vary in the ways they support students with some having more extensive support systems than others…ask EACH school what they provide and how your student can access these supports.</p>

6

<p>OP here
To clarify
He recently had a full Neuro-Psych completed with the slew of tests that entails. This was private testing over 3 separate sessions.</p>

<p>The current IEP does not state any time limits. It simply states “extended time for quizes, tests” His teachers have been lax in what this means. The most he ever got was 75% extra. 50% is fine with him and tends to be closest to what he uses. Usually he needs 40% time.</p>

<p>In college, I don’t want/he doesn’t need unlimited time. I just want to be sure I am creating a strong history for him so that when he eventually approaches college disabilities office he has the ammunition he needs to get accomadations. I am concerned that by not having HS IEP define time limit it would hurt him come college. </p>

<p>From the responses here & others I talked too, sounds like I should have current IEP changed to specify.</p>

7

<p>If college board is not granting extra time for SAT- he may want to try the ACT if he isn’t happy with his results for SAT.
We also had a problem with college board- but ACT allowed extra time, additionally it is a little different test which some students find works better for them.</p>

8

<p>Also…think about college holistically…I was thinking of exams for example. My daughter took four finals at LEAST during each exam week. Exams were allotted 3 hours each. I’m not exactly sure how she would have had enough time to actually TAKE the exams if they had each been 4 1/2 hours in duration. These are the types of things to find out when you contact the disabilities offfices.</p>

9

<p>Also, your son may end up taking an exam totally separate from other students, which means an exam schedule for him, with a room and proctor (possibly a few others needing extra time). This can sometimes cause scheduling difficulties.</p>

<p>The way it has worked at colleges I am familiar with (3 in all) is that the disabilities office will provide letters to your son, stating that he may have (50%) extended time in exams, tests and quizzes (or whatever). Them, you son gives the letter to the professors. The letter will not give information on why. The communication and advocacy will fall to your son, and professors may not comply. There is then also a person (a dean, or other administrator) who can help facilitate all this if your son is having a problem. </p>

<p>He would be expected to deal with the disabilities office, professors and dean/administrator himself, but after all those resources have been used, a parent could step in.</p>

<p>I think having an IEP with specific details is much better. You will also have the neuro-psych. evaluation and perhaps a letter or two from doctor(s) or neuro-psych.</p>

<p>I’m sure you know that colleges do not have the same legal obligations under IDEA or ADA but case law is accumulating.</p>

10

<p>We generally write “more” into my son’s (LD - Dyslexic) IEP than he needs, but the one thing that the school talked to me about through the years was having good documentation. S manages what he needs with the individual teachers and adjusts his schedule when necessary. Luckily the school has taken care of this for us including the extra time on the ACT/SAT. The school had all his testing done this past summer in preparation for junior and senior year so that is something that would be good to have completed and in your son’s file if the testing is not current. I know at our school it is required (to maintain the IEP) every three years. S takes them in the district psychiatrist’s office over the course of 3 days. It’s alot of testing but S is getting used to it as his first testing was done when he was 6.</p>

11

<p>IEPs are not applicable in college…but accommodations are part of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act…and colleges are required to accommodate disabilities if they accept a nickel of federal aid.</p>

<p>However, the LEVEL of accommodation in college might look very different than in high school. As Compmom pointed out…advocacy falls to the student in many cases.</p>

<p>Having the neurpsych will define the disability that affects lifes skills (required for a 504 accommodation). HOWEVER documentation of the type and need for this will be necessary to advocate for the continuation of the accommodation. Simply put…not everyone who has a disability needs extended time…and the need for this accommodation must be well documented.</p>

12

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<p>Off topic a bit…but the most recent reauthorization of IDEA made the FULL reevaluation ever three years something that is at the discretion of the IEP team to determine if the student continues to be eligible for special services. A full reeval might not be recommended…but if you want one…request it.</p>

13

<p>Just to be technical, but in an education setting students are supplied academic adjustments. In an employment setting the word used is accommodations.</p>

14

<p>My son has an IEP and it has always been called accommodations for him, I have never heard the term academic adjustmets before. It doesn’t really matter to me what it is called as long as the students with IEP’s get what they need.</p>

15

<p>Giood point, also Thumper, thinking about college holistically. Kids that have an issue have to live with it their entire life. The accomodations or (adjustments) may or may not be available depending on the disability in college or work so the kids need to think about how they build their high school schedules, how they build their college schedules and learn how to balance and manage those needs.</p>

16

<p>The phrase “academic adjustments” is the terminology used in the 504 regulations. I have been told that even some in OCR have begun falling into the habit of using the word “accommodations”. </p>

<p>The quote below is from the portion of the regulations covering postsecondary education. The portion of the regulations covering elementary and secondary education makes no reference to either accommodations or academic adjustments.</p>

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17

<p>It is very possible that the wording in the guidelines is not the same as on the documents. In 30 years of working in special education, I have never seen the term “academic adjustments” on a 504 plan or an IEP. Perhaps this varies by state?</p>

<p>Regardless of what they are called…the OP needs to get their ducks lined up…and also know that these accommodations/adjustments can be provided but that their student will need to be the primary advocate for them in college. AND they need to contact the disabilities office at each school to find out what they offer and how it is accessed. YMMV depending on the school.</p>