testing a 15 y/o for learning disability

[ccmom]

Is 15 y/o too old to test for a learning disability? Also, how does one go about doing this without going through the public school?

[Tokyomarie]

My son was 15yo when we went though testing last spring. Since he had not previously been formally identified, I was trying to do it at a time that would allow us to get results in time to complete the process of applying for accommodations for college admissions testing.

 

We chose to use a local neuropsychologist. I was looking for someone who has experience with bright students who also have learning challenges & also someone who is familiar with homeschooling, as well as local resources inside & outside classroom schools.

[Mom0012]

My sdd was either 14 or 15 when we had her tested independently from the school. Her situation was a little different in that she had always gone to either private or public school and we knew she had learning disabilities from a young age. She always had an IEP. We made the mistake of believing the school when they said she was doing well. She pretty much made all A's and B's until high school, so we thought the accommodations she was receiving were enough to help her through.

 

When she got into high school, we really started noticing a pattern of her failing each and every midterm and final, but often still walking away with an A or a B in the class. She as not able to pass any of the higher math classes though.

 

Around that time, we heard about a program that was being offered locally called NILD http://www.nild.net/. I went to a lecture on the program and we took her for an evaluation. They did IQ testing and a variety of other tests. We were shocked to find out she was really operating on a 3rd or 4th grade level. Her IQ turned out to be very low. Again, we were shocked.

 

The one real strength that was apparent on the testing is called something like verbal communication (it's been years since she was tested, so I can't remember it exactly), but it makes her seem like she is actually functioning at a much higher level than she is. And, it may be that this strength does actually have her functioning at a higher level in her day-to-day life, but not academically.

 

Anyway, you can take a look at the NILD website (they also offer therapy if your child needs it) or you can have a neuropsych testing done. We paid about $800 for the NILD testing and I think we would have paid far more for the other.

 

In the end, the main thing the testing did was open our eyes to how much she was struggling as well as explain a lot of things about her. We did do the therapy for two years, but it only helped her minimally. That's not to say that your daughter couldn't make extreme progress, especially in a homeschooling situation, but my sdds problems are very severe. Another benefit of testing for your child would be to have a documented trail of a disability so that she is eligible for accommodations at college or for the SAT.

 

On a happy note, she is at CC right now and passing the math courses that she was never able to pass in high school. Maturity and time have given her the ability to do that as well as the fact that she was put on Concerta for her slow processing speed and working memory issues. Over the years, no one had ever mentioned that we try a stimulant med for her because she clearly did not have ADD. I think this may be a newer thing to use these medications for other disabilities.

 

She won't receive her AA degree because she is just not up to college level work, but she will finish up next semester with a certification in early child development. Maybe at some point she will be able to return and make more progress.

 

Sorry to be so long, but hopefully there's something in there that's helpful to you.

 

Lisa

Edited January 1, 2011 by LisaTheresa

[Renee in NC]

Lisa, it is interesting that you mention stimulants for other disabilities. I have a child on stimulants for (extreme) ADD. His slightly younger brother sounds a lot like your dd - he tests with an extemely low IQ and has almost no working memory at all. It's interesting that stimulants would help that type of situation.

[Renee in NC]

My son was 15yo when we went though testing last spring. Since he had not previously been formally identified, I was trying to do it at a time that would allow us to get results in time to complete the process of applying for accommodations for college admissions testing.

 

We chose to use a local neuropsychologist. I was looking for someone who has experience with bright students who also have learning challenges & also someone who is familiar with homeschooling, as well as local resources inside & outside classroom schools.

 

We're you able to get accomodations after waiting so long to test? I had always read that you needed to show a pattern from a younger age. If you were able to get your ds accomodations, that makes me optimistic about getting them for my now 12yo.

[Mom0012]

Lisa, it is interesting that you mention stimulants for other disabilities. I have a child on stimulants for (extreme) ADD. His slightly younger brother sounds a lot like your dd - he tests with an extemely low IQ and has almost no working memory at all. It's interesting that stimulants would help that type of situation.

 

Yes, I have actually heard one or two other people in the last year or so mention their child was put on medication for reasons other that ADHD. Even so, we were very surprised when that is what was recommended for my sdd and it seems as though it's really helped her. She took algebra I in her first semester at CC without the meds and failed. She took it again the next semester on the meds and got an A. She also just passed algebra II, which she never took in high school because the consensus was that it was beyond her.

 

It is something I am keeping in the back of my mind for my son for when he moves into high school. I don't believe his lds are to the degree of my sdds, but he does have working memory issues and slower processing, so as the workload increases, I can see where he might benefit.

 

Lisa

[EKS]

We're you able to get accomodations after waiting so long to test? I had always read that you needed to show a pattern from a younger age. If you were able to get your ds accomodations, that makes me optimistic about getting them for my now 12yo.

 

I think the pattern thing is for SAT accommodations only. But I could be wrong.

[Tokyomarie]

We're you able to get accomodations after waiting so long to test? I had always read that you needed to show a pattern from a younger age. If you were able to get your ds accomodations, that makes me optimistic about getting them for my now 12yo.

 

I think the pattern thing is for SAT accommodations only. But I could be wrong.

 

SAT/ACT accommodations is one reason we did testing. DS is in 10th grade this year (turned 16yo at the end of Oct.), so I am justing going to be starting the process of applying for SAT accommodations this month, with hopes that we'll be granted them for the PSAT this Oct.

 

Last spring was the first time we went through the whole educational/neuropsych testing for dyslexia & ADHD. But ds does have a history of a severe speech delay for which he spent a total of 2.5 years in speech therapy. Most of it was overseas so he isn't "in the system" in the US but I have all those records. I also had him tested yearly on the Stanford-10 for several years from about 3rd or 4th through 6th or 7th grades. Those scores clearly show the discrepancy between his content area scores and his LA scores. Our neuropsych also told me to spend some time documenting what I have done to accommodate our son at home & to clearly state that we have continued to keep him home for school to date primarily because of his need for accommodation.

 

Like I say, I will just be starting the application process this month, but we've already done a lot of legwork in gathering the information we need to submit. I'm hoping that with this much lead time, we'll be approved in well enough time for the PSAT test date.