<p>It is a pretty clunky process. For us, we started it the 1st day after sophomore year ended. We would also call ETS to be sure they got the docs & when we might expect a decision & I kept calling them until we finally got documentation on their decision.<br>
Amazingly for my S, they LOST the page which our HS registrar completed on my S's application! The school immediately faxed them a duplicate & they granted it thereafter, but nothing would have happened if I hadn't kept contacting them to check on the status. Since my S did NOT have a written IEP (he's in a private school), it was an appeal to begin with to get him any accommodations & they gave us everything we requested & which he needed.
For my D, they were better about getting things processed without losing the docs we transmitted to them.</p>
<p>We submitted the 16 page document done by the testing psychologist to ETS. Our son also went to private school and had no IEP although the school counselor had come up with something. We had no problem. They accepted it right off and he got time and a half on all exams and a separate room. Guess we were lucky.</p>
<p>I believe the ETS also looks at the rep of the HS that the kid is attending in evaluating the requested accommodations. If the HS has sought & received a unusually high # of accommodations, they may be more questioning of the app than if it's a school that has few such requests. There is some logic to this.</p>
<p>Tsdad and HImom (So glad you're OK after the quake!) </p>
<p>Really hope the process of applying for accomodation goes as well for our kid as it did with yours, but having heard so many horror stories, have the worst case scenario in mind. </p>
<p>It's probably nuts to be thinking about what we'll do if denied the needed accomodations right through the appeals process before even submitting the initial request, but our kid's LD and accomodations are unique at our school and hence they've never requested them from ETS/ACT before. </p>
<p>I guess I wanted to know if there is any legal recourse if the ETS/ACT refuses reasonable accomodations that a kid has been receiving for years, and backed up with an extensive test battery. Would such a refusal raise the same legal issues as when USC was refusing to grant tsdad's son accomodations on an off-campus placement test? Tsdad, you mentioned that the DOJ had sued ETS at one time: What were the issues? If the ACT/ETS will not provide accomodations that a high school or college would be legally required to provide, what, if anything, can the family do about it?</p>
<p>There is little you can do, but see my last paragraph. If your child is going to need accomodations make sure you file the paper work with ETS early, very early to allow time for an appeal. Be sure that you follow their directions very carefully and that the evaluations have been done by what ETS considers a properly credentialed professional. Don't just submit an IEP or 504 plan. They only discuss the accomodations not the disability or the basis for determining that the student has a disability. </p>
<p>If ETS rejects your request you could file a complaint with DOJ, but your kid could be in graduate school before DOJ will act. They are generally useless, actually worse than useless, when it comes to ADA educational matters. I say worse than useless because sometimes they hold on to complaints so long that by the time they refer them to OCR the complaints are stale and virtually impossible to investigate. </p>
<p>One possibility is to file a complaint with OCR against the college alleging that because they accepted the SAT scores, and ETS had denied appropriate accomodations, they are discriminating against the student under Section 504 and the ADA. It would be difficult at best to prove, but such complaints have been filed and investigated.</p>
<p>The DOJ litigation involved "asterisking" the exams of students who had taken the SAT with accomodations to indicate that they were taken under non-standard conditions. I believe that its been stopped.</p>
<p>I have been away from OCR for two years so I'm not positive what they are doing with ETS complaints. If you have a problem it might be useful to contact your regional OCR and discuss it with them.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Yes, before my S would allow us to apply for accommodations, we did determine via the ETS website that tests taken with accommodatinos are no longer flagged.
I agree that it is KEY to start the process of applying for accommodations as early as possible (which is why we applied the day the regular school year ended after sophomore year). This is especially important where your school is not used to helping get accommodations similar to those being requested on behalf of your student (like in our case). I agree that you need to read the instructions carefully & submit all the requested info with your application to support your app. In our case, we submitted lettters from two different docs in support. Your school's registrar can be very supportive (or less so) when completing the form & helping be sure the material is sent in a timely manner. Work with the registrar before hand to explain your student's special needs--have info from your doc explaining & supporting each of the accommodations you're requesting as to why each is medically necessary.</p>
<p>The ETS seems less overwhelmed with apps for accommodations in early summer--get your kids' app in EARLY & keep checking on the status. If you have questions, call & speak to folks at ETS so you're sure you get in everything they'll need to rule in your favor. They are used to kids with so many different special needs. If you don't have a helpful person when you 1st call, hang up & try again. If you find someone who is particularly helpful, get his/her name & ask for them if/when you need more info.</p>
<p>We applied my freshman year of highschool, and then just renewed things for AP's when they came up as testing expired. (as long as ETS == SAT people) </p>
<p>yes, the accomidations do expire. Its stupid, since I do not see how LD has an experation date, but if i remember correctly the renewal isnt as bad. </p>
<p>if we're talking about the ACT people, thats a whole other can of worms. start early. I was denied. We appealed but did not hear anything about it before test time. At that point I gave up and didnt feel like stressing out over a test that was not really needed since I already had the SAT. I don't even remember how that came out.</p>
<p>College Board exams haven't been flagged re accommodations since Fall 2003. That is one reason why accommodations are much harder to get now -- unqualified students (particularly in certain geographic areas and from certain schools) are trying to gain an advantage by getting extra time.</p>
<p>AP exams are still flagged, at least mine were. Only the SAT dropped being flagged. The flag though just says non standard admin, so there is a range of things that it falls under.</p>
<p>To the OP </p>
<p>I highly reccomend Tulane University if LD accomodations are of big concern. Their DSS there is FANTASTIC. Very easy to navigate, very accomodating, and they will really go to bat for you. </p>
<p>I actually go to Brown now, and the DSS is okay but harder to navigate and less acomodating. And I don't get the feeling they'd go to bad for you as much. I would still recommend Brown as a school in general, but not as a school with great DSS. But maybe I'm just spoiled from Tulane. </p>
<p>PM me and I can tell you all about these two. I can't speak to other schools. But yeah, I definitely reccomend Tulane in this regard.</p>
<p>none of them</p>
<p>I would say U.C. Berkeley, because it has incredible support system for people with LD related issues. That is why I am trying to essentially improve my study skills so I can have solid 4-year college transferrable credits to have good enough grades for Berkeley.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon has a renowned program for Asperger Syndrome.</p>
<p>Syracuse University has a long standing reputation for LD support.</p>
<p>On the UMass Amherst application, a student with a documented IEP or 504 can opt to not report SAT scores.</p>