Heathermomster Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I am happy about some local news and wanted to share. During 7th and 8th grade, DS sat in an IEW class with an OG certified reading tutor. During that time, I became friends with a handful of moms, and each one of us flits in and out of a SLDs support group that is hosted by our cover. When I met the moms, none of them were considering accommodations for college board testing and to my knowledge, none of their children were using accommodations in co-op classes. I still recall a co-op meeting where a group of us rising 8th grade moms were sitting together to discuss high school college testing and the high school coordinator basically told us that she had never witnessed a high school student receive ACT/SAT testing accommodations. I challenged the coordinator's assumptions after she suggested we not even try for the accommodations. Much was said. The meeting grew fairly tense, and I mentioned knowing two women via the Internet that had received college board testing helps...(Thank-you EKS and TokyoMarie). I still get hot about that meeting because the info was false and it irritated me that a mother of NT children would happily suggest that all of our kids needed to give up 4 year uni aspirations and pursue a voc track. She has never met my son and maybe her kid should pursue a voc track. Whatever,,,voc is fine. I am not against it at all. I thought the woman was a prat.. Anyho,,,That was two years ago. So, I am getting the paperwork organized to apply for ACT accommodations for the spring, and I met with a mom that I have not visited with in a few months to help me with my ACT paperwork. My friend was initially against accommodations for her DS with APD and dyslexia. Going into his 5th ACT test, she applied for extended test taking time because her son was despairing. Happily, her son's ACT score jumped by 9 points with extended time. He came out of the test beaming and has hope for the first time. I'm so happy for that family, and I then learned that several moms are now applying for extended ACT testing time and receiving the accommodations. I have no clue whether DS will receive his accommodations; however, I am happy that these local moms did not listen to that odious woman. The gal stepped down from the high school coordinator spot about a year ago. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 This is great news. I'm happy for your friend's son and for all the kids who would benefit from accommodations. We didn't get accommodations for standardized tests. I was also told she probabaly wouldn't qualify. But the accommodations at the college level have been very helpful. Even if she doesn't use all the accommodations all of the time, they have put her on the radar of her college disability director and her professors in a very positive way. Perhaps because she's in a small program in a small school but they have been the pro-active ones reaching out to her when they see there's an accommodation or opportunity she would benefit from. All parents have the right to make decisions for their own children, but my heart aches for those kids whose parents haven't been able or willing to try for accommodations for their kids who would be helped by them. Almost no one I know IRL has done this. They are so worried about labels. I'm very glad the original woman isn't in that position anymore. What parents need in situations like that is support and encouragement to take steps that might help, certainly not discouragement. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 :party: :party: You're bringing a wave of good things with you!! That's awesome!! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Good for you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 This is really encouraging to me. I've been in a group for a while that hasn't always been sure what to say about differences, and sometimes they are outright hostile (well, we can accommodate those differences at home, why do want a LABEL? --but don't really want an answer, and so on). This will happen even while supporting others who seem to have their head in the sand, or while a parallel circumstance about health or some other approved topic gets actual thoughtful response. Anyway, I've stuck my neck out, a couple of times in outright frustration, after we've had a bad week and people offer strange support, and it's led to some good side conversations. Sometimes we have to be the lamb to slaughter so that people are more enlightened for their own benefit, not just for our acceptance. I am really glad this is coming full circle--you spoke up, people are benefiting, and you actually get to see the results. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Well, I am just glad that someone else is applying and having success. I have been talking a mean line but did a double take looking at the SAT paperwork online. I am going for ACT helps first. My friend told me that the other moms are not advertising what they are doing. Maybe they are just wanting to see some success first prior to telling others. Last year, I had a big talk with the new high school coordinator and explained what I wanted to do with DS. The new coordinator was very helpful and supportive. I expect she has been talking to the other moms and was encouraging them to try. I still can't get over that teenager increasing his ACT scores by 9 pts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 ACT and SAT both have websites with the information for applying for accommodations. ACT has a helpline than you can call with questions. The NP testing report has to be within 3 years. http://www.actstudent.org/regist/disab/opt2.html https://www.collegeboard.org/students-with-disabilities/request-accommodations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Is there somewhere I can read more about how they decide who gets their accommodations? When my dd went through her testing, the neuropsychs made it sound like testing accommodations were something she would definitely get. I know I will need to repeat her testing at some point to keep it current (she's 12 and was tested at 9), but now I'm wondering what the decision is based on. The general point they look for regarding accommodations is if there is a disability that would prevents them from achieving to their potential on the test. When I looked into it several years ago, in addition to wanting any test results and reports for an specific issue, the also required IQ AND achievement testing to show evidence that a student might not be performing at a level they are capable of due to a disability. We had IQ testing and an audiologist's test results documenting CAPD, but we were told that was not enough and that we would definitely need achievement testing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 The links that I provided should tell you precisely what tests the ACT/SAT people want to see. I carried that info with me to the NP when DS was tested last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 The links that I provided should tell you precisely what tests the ACT/SAT people want to see. I carried that info with me to the NP when DS was tested last. This is a great point. Our NP was picking and choosing on subtests. Everyone I showed the report noticed this. It could have caused a big problem had we sought standardized test accommodations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Is it possible that ACT/SAT are making accommodation easier to receive or are more informed families making application? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokyomarie Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I am so glad you are pursuing an application for accommodations AND that you are sharing information about what is necessary with your fellow local homeschoolers! My son definitely saw a nice score boost from using his accommodations, though not as high as 9 points. It was enough to allow him to be a strong candidate for moderately selective schools. I would have no idea about the numbers of students who are getting accommodations from the testing organizations now compared to a few years ago. Having followed ACT & College Board webpages since the early 2000s, I can say that the information about testing for students with disabilities is more specific than it was way back when. I think there is a combination of effects on potential success in applying for accommodations: suits and complaints against the testing agencies about the seeming arbitrariness of their decisions, better understanding on the part of professionals and the testing organizations about what specific accommodations might be useful (ie more breaks vs. extended time), better education of professionals and the public about what is needed in an application, and networking amongst parents sharing the information as we are doing here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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