<p>Does anybody have any experience applying for special accommodations for either the SAT or ACT? For example, trying to get time and a half or unlimited time. </p>
<p>My brother will be starting the test-taking process soon, and he was diagnosed with and takes medication for ADHD. We tried reading about the application procedure from the websites, but I could not tell how far in advance you must apply or even quite how the application works. </p>
<p>It sounds like you need to have a doctor provide a recent diagnosis? It also sounded like for the SAT in particular, you are supposed to take some additional diagnostic tests? </p>
<p>From anybody who has done the application, does anybody have any tips on things to be mindful of? Also what are the accommodations like? Does it get noted on your score report that you took the test in this way? Is one of the two supposed to be more harsh with ADHD applications, and how soon do they typically let you know?</p>
<p>You do have to apply in advance, so he should start the process when he gets back to school. For the SAT, you need to have the accommodation letter in hand from the Collegeboard when you register for the SAT. If you are granted accommodations, typically they apply to the PSAT, SAT I, SAT Subject tests, and AP tests. </p>
<p>Your brother should ask his high school guidance counselor for information on how to request accommodations; there is a portion they have to do, and many GCs are experienced at helping with the application process. Your brother will likely have the most luck if he has a diagnosis from both earlier in his life and it has been confirmed within the past few years, and also if he has been receiving accommodations in school because of his ADHD. He will need documentation of his test results and diagnosis from his doctor. If he just takes medication and does not get extra time on tests now, he is less likely to get any on the standardized tests. I also think that a very recent diagnosis (in 9th or 10th grade) is looked on suspiciously by the testing organizations, but if he also has an older diagnosis, that is better. There are no “extra” diagnostic tests required by Collegeboard or ACT.</p>
<p>ACT has a separate process from Collegeboard. Neither tells colleges if accommodations were granted.</p>
<p>So the process for the SAT is first apply to see if you are eligible for accommodations? Then if so, sign up for the test with the letter in tow? </p>
<p>And in particular, the next steps would be to make an appointment with the guidance counselor stat? Is there anything on our end that we could do to potentially expedite the process or make it more efficient?</p>
<p>It sounds like this is some sort of paper application, likely with medical documents as attachments? So the idea is just to mail these in and see what happens? Should we hear back one way or another? Do you have an estimate on the turn around time? I guess I’m wondering how far in advance these applications need to be completed? </p>
<p>He hadn’t pursued getting any sort of time-and-a-half accommodations in school mainly because he did not want to stand out socially, taking the exam at a different time or place than everybody else and people ragging on him for getting special privileges. The SAT and ACT is another thing because they are so important but also because they accommodations are easier to conceal I’d imagine. For example, hardly anybody around here takes the ACT as is, so we’re hoping he could really get them on that day, and nobody would find out so easily. I understand why you would say it makes your case weaker if you had not been getting them for years, but I’m sure this social situation is not uncommon; bullying is quite big in our neck of the woods.</p>
<p>“If he just takes medication and does not get extra time on tests now, he is less likely to get any on the standardized tests.”
That’s not necessarily true. I never take extra time on tests in school, but when I applied for accommodations on the SAT -on account of being legally blind- they gave me extra time. Maybe that’s unique to my situation, but don’t think that your lack of in-school accommodations is indicative of collegeboard’s willingness to give you accommodations. However having an IEP or similar special education program will help your case considerably.
A quick look of collegeboard’s website can answer most of your questions ([How</a> to Apply for Testing Accommodations - Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) - College Board](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>How to Request Accommodations – Accommodations | College Board)). My guidance counselor did most of the work, so don’t expect to be mailing much stuff yourself. You can either fill out a paper application or an online application. Turnaround time is approximately 7 weeks. As for what you’ll need to send in according to collegeboard “the type of information required depends on the student’s disability and the specific accommodations being requested.The documentation required usually includes a description of a disability’s impact on the student’s test performance. In some cases, items such as a psychoeducational report or the results from an eye exam must be submitted for review.”
After your brother is approved (there really isn’t any reason for him not to be) don’t freak out if his scores are released later than everyone else’s. Only 50% of my scores were released on time.</p>
<p>Does applying for the accommodation affect actual registering for the SAT in anyway? It sounds like he’ll be signing up for the SAT, not necessarily knowing yet whether his application has been approved?</p>
<p>Does anybody have any experience with this for the ACT?</p>
<p>When your brother is approved for accommodations he will be assigned an SSD (services for students with disabilities) number. His guidance counselor will probably be given the number, but if your brother asks for it he should receive it. When you register for the SAT there is a part that asks for the SSD number. When he enters that number he will be registered as a student with accommodations and will be treated accordingly.</p>
<p>RE: For example, hardly anybody around here takes the ACT as is, so we’re hoping he could really get them on that day, and nobody would find out so easily. </p>
<p>If he really positively does not want anyone to know, someone will need to notify the test center supervisor so that when it comes time for check-in, his name doesn’t get called out in front of everyone lined up - or if it must, they can be discreet about it & just say they need to check something or have a (fake) relative as proctor so he can’t go in that room. When there are 200 kids lined up and 197 of them are taking SAT I, they like to find the SAT II and special accommodations students to pull them from the line and let them get started with their separate proctors/rooms.</p>
<p>Replying late to this after the process is over because people need as much feedback as possible. . My son has a visual processing disorder NOT recognized by ACT as an ADA disability requiring reasonable accommodation. He was diagnosed by an official therapist, yada yada, documented from early middle school and redoc’d in HS. He only needed extra time. Thanks for nothing ACT- they were real jerks. They simply relied on the Fed ADA law and laughed at us because they can’t be sued. However, SAT did accommodate him and gave him extra time. His school counselor did all the coordination with the authorities. </p>
<p>As far as people “not knowing” your child requires accommodations, we live in CA and that is truly no big deal. There are numerous students w/learning differences and that’s that. </p>
<p>Suggestion: prep your student for both tests as best as possible. Not everyone fits neatly into the testing box (no kidding, hope they go out of business). In this case, things did work out. Although my son tested better on the PLAN type of tests initially, because he did not get accommodated by the ACT for the subject matter tests, that ultimately did not matter. He took the SAT, did so-so, but the strength of his academics and college essay, & overall record helped him get into the college of his choice and accepted into some other nice schools as well. He was reject at the tip-top tier schools (U Mich, & U Va) but got into Purdue, U of WA, & Penn State as a Pre-Engineering student.</p>
<p>Get your documentation together and apply immediately, that way if there is a problem, you can try to get whatever other documentation you need. </p>
<p>It will not show up on your score that he had accommodations. No colleges will know he had accommodations.</p>