<p>Does anyone have experience with filing for consent for request for accommodations for college board tests? (That's alot of fors!)</p>
<p>Just came from an IEP meeting at my d's high school where, among other things, we discussed the possibility of requesting testing accommodations for the SAT test in the form of extra time. D is very bright hs junior, dyslexic, has good grades and gpa, but tends to bomb tests. She sometimes, but not all the time, uses time/location accommodations for testing in her regular classroom as allowed by her IEP and is able to focus and perform better when used. Seems like a good thing, right? The problem is d is not quite on board about it and is reluctant to ask for the resources she needs (perhaps for fear of stigma) in regards to her dyslexia and tends to gloss over the issue which often results in lower performance and scores. I know that we can just file the request on her behalf and she does not have to use it. The form would release her records to College Board for review and possible discussion of her disability.</p>
<p>So, anyone have experience with this sort of thing? Pros and cons? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Son is a college senior. We requested and he used the extra time that was granted by the College Board. Not sure how it is done these days but I seem to recall that we filled out our portion and the HS counselor filled out the rest and she sent it in. Not sure what documentation she sent but son was granted a recorded test and also double time. It does take time so if you are considering it do it now.</p>
<p>Yes, do it right now, because I think it’s 6 weeks before they make a ruling. D has time and a half, and also a different answer sheet (dysgraphia, the “bubbles” are very confusing). She doesn’t like it-- (it definitely gets noticed by the others)-- but she needs it. I’ve been told that if you don’t use the accommodations on one test they may rescind them, but haven’t experienced that. </p>
<p>I don’t see any cons, except a bit of stigma which is very worth dealing with. Colleges don’t see who gets the accommodations. It does mean that a 4 hour test becomes a 6 or 8 hour test, when maybe she only needs an extra 20 minutes. But for a more truly representative score, which may mean a better college experience…worth it entirely, as far as I can see.</p>
<p>Sigh what is with all the parents requesting special favors for their children? You might think that they are brilliant and that they deserve to have all the accommodations made for them, however chances are they are of average intelligence. It sickens me to see people get unfair advantage for such benign issues. Just take the damn test and be happy with what you get. Too much blood, sweat, and tears are wasted on the standardized testing process.</p>
<p>Many students who just plain suck at math or reading aren’t diagnosed with dyscalcula nor dyslexia. They don’t use a “disorder” as an excuse for their lack of ability or understanding. Chances are the parent’s kid is just a normal student, they aren’t “brilliant”. How many CC parents brag relentlessly about their “brilliant kids”? Brilliant kids are a dime a dozen.</p>
<p>I don’t know your situation, but try working with your child. Accept them for who they are. Not what you want them to be. If she fears the “stigma”. just let her be a normal teenager. Teenager don’t need their parents making every single decision on their behalf… Teenagers yearn for independence. Regardless, best of luck and wishes to your current situation.</p>
<p>Contrary to your belief Swgyswgy, it is not easy or inexpensive to get special accommodations from the College Board. You child must sit through 8-10 hours of testing with a specialist who then writes a report which is then sent to the child’s school at which point the parent and child must meet with teachers and administration to review the whole situation. Then the school and parent must submit all the paperwork to the College Board and wait.</p>
<p>If the student gets accommodations they must then sit in a separate room from their friends and increase the length of an already too long test from 4 hours to 6 or 8 hours whether or not they need all the increased time in each section. And this is just to level the playing field somewhat, not to give the student an undue advantage.</p>
<p>The parents looking for accommodations are accepting their children for who they are, they are not forcing them to fit into an educational environment that doesn’t work for them because of differences in how their brains process. It’s not easy and it is embarrassing for the student. </p>
<p>LD is one of the last prejudices allowed to be publicly discussed and questioned. And just to educate you a bit (although I’m sure you have no interest in being educated in this area) it has been proven numerous times that people with LD are most often above average in intelligence and creativity, they just learn and view the world a bit differently. Believe me, many parents would trade the extra time and other accommodations for a child who may be less bright but “fits in,” is more “normal” (your word) and learns more traditionally.</p>
<p>I would let the D decide. She is the one going to college and mat or may not be able to get the same accomodations in college or once away from you may not trigger or use an college accomodations. If she doesn’t want the extra time you will be working with some stats that are her work.</p>
<p>FLAmama-- D has done some SAT prep through school, and it has been helpful. After we see where the PSAT falls I expect I’ll get her a one-on-one tutor. She sees things from such an odd angle that one-on-one tends to be best. </p>
<p>Thanks to amtc for patient explanation! I don’t think I could have been so temperate. The energy spent on extra teaching for LD kids means they develop more fully and contribute more in the end. Anyone who is “sickened” by the pointlessness of the standardized testing process could start by taking it up with the colleges who base their decisions on same, rather than suggesting that kids accept lesser educations because of the results.</p>
<p>Wow - Gwen Fairfax, can I enlarge your paragraph and post it on my wall? Patience is not something I am often accused of!</p>
<p>Seriously though, we are having our younger daughter tutored for the SAT (same tutor as older daughter had) and once she got her 1.5 extension he was amazed at how much higher she scored in her practice tests. It’s more than just the tutoring for these kids, they do need extra accommodations too.</p>
<p>OP - I know my daughter was pleasantly surprised by some of the kids in the accommodations room during the PSAT, some, like her, had no official accommodations prior to this because our school is so good at unofficially accommodating these kids so they didn’t even know they each had learning issues. Also, I know my daughter isn’t even taking the test at our high school as it’s not offered the day she is taking it, so who will even know?</p>
<p>Can you get her to take two practice SATs, one timed and one untimed, and compare scores? That might persuade her that she would in fact benefit. Or, if the difference isn’t that stark, she may decide to just let the chips fall where they may, but at least you’ll both have a clear picture of the cost of that decision.</p>
<p>DS has applied for and gotten accommodations - again, it’s not at all a simple/short process. In his case, the accommodation he receives is related to a congenital medical issue. Be aware that the College Board’s standard is whether or not the student regularly gets the accommodation in school - so if your daughter doesn’t meet that standard, you may get denied (at least the first time around - we had to appeal an original “no,” although for a different reason). </p>
<p>FYI, the College Board accommodations will also hold for AP tests. </p>
<p>My .02 is that it’s a good, reasonably low-risk time for your daughter to come to grips with the fact that she may need the accommodation. You want her to be in a position in college to ask for it for herself (you won’t be able to at that point - no IEPs or whatnot), and not wait until the situation is dire, with thousands of dollars on the table. At least, that’s the goal we’re working toward with DS!</p>
<p>Re: SAT prep, DS is using the online course now - we’ll take a look at his scores (he’s taking the SAT in Nov. and the ACT in Dec.) and decide if he needs to do anything further.</p>
<p>@swgyswgy All I can say is you are ignorant about this issue and I do not have the time or patience to explain and/or correct you. Sorry if I make you sick, maybe you should take pepto bismol or maybe you just have a sucky stomach and you should just deal.</p>
<p>@amtc Thank you for your sharing your knowledge and wisdom. People who do not have experience with children with learning disabilities have no clue and it can be very frustrating for those of us dealing with it. I gasped when I read post #5, then I read yours and was restored by your patient (yes, own it) and cogent explanation. Thank you.</p>
<p>@Gwen Fairfax I was going back and forth about a private tutor versus a prep class. My son requested a math tutor his junior year, but his math scores were already in the low 700’s and he just wanted to bump them up, which he did. My husband, who has a similar learning style to my d’s, suggested that the class structure might be better. Distance may be a factor as well, so for now we’ll keep researching.</p>
<p>@Pghmomof2 and momofthreeboys Yes, I agree that she needs to be comfortable with the idea of the accommodation or it could really mess with her head for the duration of the test and even HS and college, but I think part of getting a good education is knowing what you need and asking for it. Those of us with kids with LDs know how important self-advocacy is and that is what I want to foster. It’s similar to when I put on my knee brace before a tennis match. It does not give me an advantage but I know it helps.</p>
<p>Also, she has taken the PSAT 3 times, waiting on this years results, but previous results have been mixed. Somewhat erratic as is often the case with LD.</p>
<p>We have done the paper work for the accomodations and it took awhile with the extensive testing, school forms etc…
Have yet to use the accomodations, though will test the waters on it in the spring.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if the accomodations hold for all years of hs or does it have to be renewed?</p>