<p>ICargirl, I do agree with much of what you say or at least speculate about the same things. One part of this, which leaves me scratching my head, are the anecdotal accounts of kids who have had zero acccomodations and very little testing up until mid-high school. I think that is perhaps the kind of red flag that may cause colleges/unis to stop and question and rightfully so. I do not on any level think it is wrong for colleges/unis to require current testing and if they wanted to the colleges/unis could certainly specify the tester. The concept of to tell or not to tell “before acceptance” or “after acceptance” is another argument entirely. Clearly, kids with long standing and well documented LDs are fairly clear cut cases and for them, the argument as Shaw and others have pointed out is to disclose or not to disclose at application. I just happen to believe there are many, many great colleges/unis and would never want to be “fighting” a college/uni over accomodations for ths sake of a BA with a particular brand name. Not my style, I tend to take the long view. Fortunately my LDer wants a great big school with great sports so it will never be an issue (to disclose or not to at application) for him I do believe.</p>
<p>Momof3, I agree with absolutely everything in this last post of yours, except this, which I’d like to explain, if I may:</p>
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<p>How about being left scratching one’s head when one’s own child is that student? How about, when you have been following closely the entire academic progress, grade by grade, they graduate with honors from elem/jr high, but it’s a different story for h.s.? (Because it is a different story for h.s. 
) This is an example of what’s called in the business, 'The Highly-Compensated LD’er." My D2 is a textbook case of this. She was so excellent at compensating in elementary that she threw off the teachers and her mother, repeatedly. Which is not to say that there weren’t signs: there clearly were. It’s just that she would find a creative solution to them – work around them – even though they were manifest from early on. I would say that every other year, a teacher would approach me and say, “You know, I think she needs some tutoring,” “I think you might look into this,” or in one case, “Let me (classroom teacher from 5 years ago but same school) tutor her.” I always immediately complied, and agreed that I saw troubling signs myself, in terms of learning retention, auditory processing, dyscalculia, for starters. She would start out with a tutor (school, private, or commercial) and within weeks straighten herself out. We were all left scratching our heads. </p>
<p>Then comes high school: extremely demanding private, I will add: prominent in its category. First of all, she bombed the placement test, despite a solid preparation at her private K-8, variable performance on standardized tests there, and graduating sal. She actually couldn’t even finish the hs test, but stared straight ahead for a portion of it and looked paralyzed. (Uh-oh.) Despite the hs’s wisely encouraging her away from too many Honors classes, she stubbornly enrolled in 2 or 3 of them in frosh yr, then had to back down for one of them, because of the pace. (Again, pace is a big feature of much LD.)</p>
<p>The volume of work, the number of classes, the theoretical approach to h.s. subjects at any quite demanding public or private, even the differing expectations among teachers, add to that Honors classes, and her first time ever switching classes: suddenly, compensation was not as successful and it was apparent that something organic was in play. I know you’re going to die when I tell you that she managed 5 AP’s in total, as well (another move I worried about), and all of her e.c.'s. (Well, she sacrificed sleep, and it was all her choice; Mom argued against the heavy load, and lost.) I had her formally tested in Sem I of Grade 9. She ignored the results and refused accommodation, despite several of her concerned teachers offering her that. That happened until the end of Jr. Yr., at which point she turned to me, 2 weeks before the SAT, and asked if I could call collegeboard and request accommodations. (Right; they’ll buy that.) She had finally come to terms with the limits of her compensations.</p>
<p>Her story is repeated often. I’ve heard from many other parents (not even on CC) whose story replicates mine. One parent had a son at a very similar private “down the street.” He had a diagnosis, and the school even had an actual LD department and were committed to in-house tutoring/support. However, because he was considered highly compensated, he was never granted the services. (Mom wasn’t angry, nor was son, as son – like my D–was proud & determined to avoid help.)</p>
<p>So in conclusion: it’s entirely possible that the anecdotes you hear include both the genuine and the non-genuine. The genuine would be late-discovered of the kind that can be hidden or compensated, until h.s… Certain varieties of LD, such as dysgraphia, are far harder to hide in elementary (when it’s still apparent in 6th-7th-8th.) And remember that there are degrees of severity, as well, in some of these conditions. </p>
<p>The non-genuine would be those whose diagnosis was obtained through someone less than competent; I suppose there are also cases of deliberate fraud/deception; I just personally haven’t come across them. I deal much more (and have for years) with un-diagnosed, puzzled students & their families, because it never occurred to them, despite consistent difficulty, that something could be wrong other than study habits.</p>
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<p>No, my suggestion is giving ample time to all students so it’s about demonstrated learning of the material not about being a track race. Unfortunately, that’s what our educational system is set up to do - reward a person that can get 10 answers correct in 10 minutes over someone that gets 8 answers correct in 10 minutes. To what end? </p>
<p>Back on the topic at hand. I have ADD. I take medicine. It helps. Do I want rules giving me any advantage in education? I do not. What’s the point? Am I going to be given some accommodation in the ‘real world’ ? Nope. So what’s the point other than to create an additional bureaucracy costing billions and keeping us from effectively competing in the world economy? Am I some rare flower that can’t be replaced or provide some greater value? No. I am replaceable. So are you. And if you are not, you are not in a field where your handicap is handicap so it doesn’t matter anyway. </p>
<p>The time for feel-good solutions with fuzzy (at best) and costly results has past. I’m sorry if this offends anyone.</p>
<p>"No, my suggestion is giving ample time to all students so it’s about demonstrated learning of the material not about being a track race. Unfortunately, that’s what our educational system is set up to do - reward a person that can get 10 answers correct in 10 minutes over someone that gets 8 answers correct in 10 minutes. To what end? "</p>
<p>I agree.</p>
<p>“Back on the topic at hand. I have ADD. I take medicine. It helps. Do I want rules giving me any advantage in education? I do not. What’s the point? Am I going to be given some accommodation in the ‘real world’ ? Nope. So what’s the point other than to create an additional bureaucracy costing billions and keeping us from effectively competing in the world economy?”</p>
<p>Most accommodations are designed to help the child get educated. For ADD kids this can include things like seating in front of the class etc. Since you need the bureaucracy anyway for that, I doubt that adding extra time on tests costs anything close to what your are suggesting.</p>
<p>I would also suggest that the bureaucracy relating to accomations is overly large. Why, in the name of all thats holy, does a meeting have to involve a GC, an asst principle, a Spec ed admin person, a Psychologist and, god save the mark, a speech therapist (when there is no speech LD at issue, its all about ADD)??? </p>
<p>And again, fancy accommodations arent necessarily needed. We asked for a period of study hall in a quiet room, cause DD was much more efficient doing homework in such an environment than at home - without the emotional issues of parents being homework cops, better time of day in terms of matching with medication, etc. </p>
<p>“We don’t do that”<br>
“why not?”
“all kids would want that”
“!!!”</p>
<p>well, einstein, if it benefits all kids, be my guest, provide it. Maybe this whole outsourcing of education to parents isn’t so great? And it wouldnt have to be all that expensive, and would be much more cost effective than lots of frills in the curriculum. But why should a kid with a diagnosis be denied a cheap, effective, accommodation cause the school system isn’t bright enough to provide it to all.</p>
<p>And before you bring up the work world, the work world today in many places generally gives choices between working at the office or telecommuting - they WANT people to work where they will be most productive.</p>
<p>“I do believe if you have an LD you better make sure before you land on campus that the school can meet the needs and if it means disclosing then so be it”</p>
<p>If you need costly, burdensome accommodations, I would agree. Many accommodations are not particularly costly or burdensome.</p>
<p>“From what I understand, part of the reason that Metcalfe Legget was initially denied accommodations was because her classification was out of date; I believe she had not been tested since she was twelve”</p>
<p>People expect retesting, that costs thousands of dollars, and then complain that LD accommodation favors the affluent.</p>