SAT-Criteria for extra time due to ADHD

Parents Forum Learning Differences and Challenges - LD, ADHD
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<p>Does anyone know what the College Board is looking for with regard to the psychological testing requireed for granting extended time for the SAT? My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD (no LD) in 1st grade and has had a 504 Plan allowing additional time for testing. With that additional time, she has obtained a 3.9 GPA as a sophomore but just took the PSAT and did not answer 30 questions on the test due to lack of time. She actually did OK but we know she could perform much better if she had the ability to actually finish the test. The College Board is requesting two of the following:</p>

<p>Nelson Denny Reading Test, with standard time and extended time measures Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT)
Stanford Diagnostic Math Test (SDMT)
Woodcock-Johnson III Fluency Measures
Test of Written Language-Third Edition (TOWL-3)</p>

<p>I am assuming that the College Board wants to see a significant improvement when additional time is given...do you know what else they may be looking for?</p>

<p>What are other experiences people have had with "successfully" (nor not) requesting additional time? </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>We were told that the CB wanted updated psychoeducational test within the last 3 yrs. The psychologist had her time a test for 45 min and then continued until she was able to complete it. This definitely showed that D3 performed significantly better with extended time. In addition to the resulting report, he wrote a cover letter and forwarded to the high school. The school is now in the process of completing the paperwork for extended time. It will be submitted to both the CB and ACT by the end of this week.</p>

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<p>It is probably a good idea to have an individually administered IQ test in the battery as well, for a couple of reasons. First, the differences between various subtests serve as further evidence of LD, and helps tease out exactly what kind of LD’s you’re dealing with. Second, the ETS is particularly reluctant to accommodate gifted LD students with the attitude that if the kid can do average work without accommodation, then they don’t have to accommodate. With the IQ testing demonstrating that you are, in fact, dealing with an above average or gifted kid, it is easier for the testing psychologist to make the case that an average performance would reflect only the student’s LD as opposed to accurately evaluating the student’s potential or performance.</p>

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<p>Anecdotal evidence suggests that over the past couple of years, if the paperwork is filled out properly and the evidence is there, 50% extended time is often granted without a huge production. For students who require different accommodations, particularly if a the use of a keyboard is involved, things are routinely more difficult. In our case, our child was granted minimal accommodation, with the accommodations he’d been receiving for years denied, without the ETS providing reasons that made sense. We mounted and won an appeal, but the amount of documentation, effort, and time that went into it were staggering. The student is now well into college, doing extremely well, using the same necessary accommodations. In our case, having direct communication with the folks at the CB/ETS on an ongoing basis, and having the testing psychologist respond to their concerns in a very direct, concrete way, as well as providing CB teacher evaluation forms from a dozen teachers and administrators going back to elementary school eventually did the trick. If I remember correctly, all this took maybe 8 months. We did not have the student take any standardized tests until the accommodations were granted.</p>

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<p>As a follow up, my daughter was tested at the end of the school year by the school psychologist. Basically, the report indicated that she does NOT have ADHD and does not require any further 504 accommodations nor does she require any additional time for testing…which she has had since 1st grade.</p>

<p>My daughter, now 16, has learned how to control her ADHD, she did very well on all the intelligence and phyh tests administered to her…basically they said she was well adjusted and intelligent!! So for our efforts, she now has no 504 nor will they recommend extra time for the SAT.</p>

<p>She has been taking an SAT course this summer, on the tests, she has been doing OK on the questions she answers (they said she was smart…lol) but she hasn’t been able to get near to completing the test, in particular the math section.</p>

<p>We are in the process of looking for an educational consultant to help …but has anyone had any experience with a SMART kid with ADHD…who can basically handle everything because they have figured it the ADHD thing out except for the fact that they really cannot focus and cannot complete things in the time allotted.</p>

<p>Just as a baseline, when she was 6 years old and initially tested she was changing her answers while she was being tested based upon the “bubble” the therapist was marking…no joke, I noticed it and the therapist was clueless. She is bright, has a 3.9 GPA but is dejected knowing she cannot get through the test in the time allotted.</p>

<p>HELP</p>

<p>Any input would be greatly appreciated!!</p>

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<p>Ok, additional follow uo- Idecided to re-read the report and I was actually wrong. The testing indicated a low adverage WJ-III Processing Speed but apparently this is not enough for ADHD accommodations. In addition, she did have a few tests re-administered with additional time, one indicated the additional time as helpful but one did not…indicating a “Suggestion” that she just did not know the answers.</p>

<p>New question, are these factors significant enough to warrant additional time?</p>

<p>Also, does the ACT look at testing results the same as SAT or is one more liberal in allowing more time?</p>

<p>Sorry for the confusion…and Thanks…if anyone can helpQQ</p>

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<p>MalibuSky,</p>

<p>I just saw your post today and I hope I can provide you with some information. </p>

<p>The College Board (for SAT) testing does want testing done within the past three years. My son was diagnosed with ADHD in 5th grade and in 8th grade began working weekly with a learning specialist. He is on daily medication for the ADHD. At the beginning of his Junior year of high school, we had my son tested at a major state university medical center where a neuropsychological evaluation was performed. Tests administered were the WAIS-III, WIATII, WRAML-2, CVLT-II, Rey Complex Figure Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Semantic Fluency Test, CPT-II, Trail Making Tests, Category Test, Grip Strength Test, Finger Tapping Test, Grooved Pegboard Test, Sensory Perceptual Exam and a clinical interview with my and myself.</p>

<p>Diagnosis was ADHD, Visual Memory Deficits along with an extremely slow processing speed.</p>

<p>His learning specialist recommended the SAT as she believes it is a better format for students with his LD’s. My understanding is that even though it is hard to get extended time and other accomodation from the College Board for SAT’s, it is even harder to get for ACT’s.</p>

<p>Initially, CB turned down request for 50% extended time even with a summary of testing and test results and a recommendation from the doctor (head of Neuropsychologiccal Department). When I told the doctor, the doctor personally contacted the CB, send another letter further explaining testing and test results and my son was granted the additional time. </p>

<p>The first time my son sat for the SAT, he did not have extended time. His grades are excellent but that first SAT was not in line with his grades. He sat again with extended time and his score increased and is now in line with his grades.,</p>

<p>Next week, I take him to Wake Forest where he will be a freshman. </p>

<p>I guess I have taken the long way to say, have full and complete testing and documenation of those results, expect no for an answser the first time, don’t take no for an answer if you know your daughter is deserving of accomodations. I personally spoke to the College Board and asked them what I needed to do to appeal the decision and they told me who I needed to contact. The doctor advocated for us by then contacting the appeals person and further discussing and explaining testing and results.</p>

<p>Hope this helps - let me know if there is anything else that may be helpful.</p>

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<p>Just a follow-up…D3 was denied extended time from both CB and ACT. They pointed to her above avg GPA as an indication that she has managed her challenge and the extra time was not necessary. So…we hired a private tutor for her standardized tests…her first try was an ACT score of 25. She has scheduled a retake in less than 2 wks.</p>

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<p>Archermom,</p>

<p>Did you ask for an appeal? We were denied on first request, asked for an appeal and approved on second request.</p>

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<p>Archermom and cocoabean, with ADHD kid, The College Board said yes to extended time. We sent all of the document and TCB’s approved accommodations. ACT said no to extended time, but we appealed and lots of new data and ACT said yes. With my dyslexic son. TCB said no to 100% extra time and a few other things. We appealed a couple of times and they finally said yes to a host of accommodations (some of which they thought would be good for him but we hadn’t asked for). That appeal process took one calendar year. Then, ACT got the massive amounts of information that TCB got and just followed TCB. So appeals can work.</p>