Anyone with dyslexic DC who have taken AP or SAT2 exams?

[rbk mama]

I have a 7th grade DS who is dyslexic, and looking ahead to his high school plan I'm wondering about the possibility of AP exams.  At this point it's hard to imagine him taking an exam which required any kind of essay.  He is dysgraphic, but even if he was given a word processor, I'm not sure he would be able to produce an essay under (any kind of) time constraints.  That may change, but for now I'm mostly wondering about the math and science APs.  He's very much a STEM guy and is good at math.  I've read a bit about people's experience with accommodations for ACT/SAT, but not AP or SAT 2s.  Anyone here have experience with dyslexic DC taking APs?  (And if there's a former thread you know of I'd love the link.  I'm never very good at finding things.)  TIA!

[EKS]

If you get accommodations for the SAT, the accommodations automatically apply to all College Board exams, including AP and the SAT Subject Tests.

[OneStepAtATime]

Good to know.  Thanks EKS

[rbk mama]

Ok, thanks, that is great to know!  Makes sense.  I get the impression from other threads that the College Board is not super friendly to dyslexics.  :unsure:

[OneStepAtATime]

Well, I must admit there are times when I get the feeling there are people on the College and High School board that have never had to deal with a child with learning challenges so they genuinely don't understand the situation.  Surely it must be that our kids are lazy or not very bright or we were terrible at teaching....ignorance vs. willful disdain I guess.

[PeterPan]

Just as an aside, do you know how to google search the boards?  You go to your google bar and type the terms and site:welltrainedmind.com  That will search just that site for your terms.  

 

So, for instance, if you type in dyslexic ap exam site:welltrainedmind.com   You get a bunch of interesting hits.  New tricks every day.   :D

 

PS.  A site search works even when the WTM boards are down.  You can search and then hit to look at the cached version of the page.   :)

 

And yes, I've thought the same thing, that I'm not sure I can make an AP exam doable for my dd.  Dunno.  If you want to gauge, you can try past tests (available online, in books, etc.) and see how they go.  Or try CLEP, which doesn't seem to involve essays (I may be wrong) or go DE, where the ADA law guarantees your accommodations.

 

[rbk mama]

Thanks for the search help! :001_smile:  I did do a google search for dyslexia and AP and via that search found a few relevant WTM threads -- didn't find those via the WTM search though. :huh:   But your tip about google searching is much better than what I have been doing.

 

Yeah, I was thinking about just seeing how he does, closer to the time, via practice tests.  I wish I could hear (more) success stories of dyslexics who have performed well on APs (I did find a few online -- very few).

[PeterPan]

I just don't see how it's a probability.  For some of the exams they have to write 3 very structured essays super fast after doing the multiple choice test.  It's something kids practice all year in their AP classes to get good at.  So our kids would spend a year focused on the thing they're least good at (ramming out essays) when they might not do that in a regular DE class.  So it's both being able to do the test AND whether the compromises that type of class presents are worthwhile time suckers for your dc.  

[Tokyomarie]

Hi, rbk mama! My son was granted 1.5x extra time plus keyboard accommodations for College Board tests; he would have received those had he chosen to take APs or SAT2s. Essay writing is still a significant weakness for him. It would have been pure torture for him to have to sit an exam with multiple essays. He did take the SAT and his accommodations helped bring his essay score into an "acceptable" range but it was not commensurate with his other scores. In his case, he was able to do dual enrollment and his credits transferred to his chosen university, making APs unnecessary. He, too, is STEM-focused and essay writing isn't an issue in his math, physics, and computer science courses. 

 

One thing to consider is that your son's ability to handle this type of test might change over the next 2-3 years, so you'll need to see where you're at then. How soon are you hoping to have him start taking these tests?

[ddavies]

Hi there! My high schooler was approved for accommodations from the College Board last year, and has taken the AP Physics B and the Physics SAT 2 exams so far. He has dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD, and was granted 50% extra time for all sections, a large-block response booklet (no filling in bubbles!), small-group testing (although, logistically, this may be automatic if he has extra time?), and access to a computer for any essay questions.

 

My son also plans to take AP Chemistry, Calculus BC and Physics C, along with two more SAT 2s (tbd) over the next few years. None of these exams require a written response of more than a few sentences, and I think he should be able to handle them without too much trouble. He’s very much a STEM kid as well, though he’s intimidated by the AP Biology exam and has decided to stick with the SAT 2 if he takes a bio exam at all.

 

At this point, we’re waiting to see whether taking any other AP exams will be worth the time and effort. If it turns out that scoring a 3 or 4 on an AP history or English exam would give him useful credit at his future college, he may just go ahead and take one on in his senior year. He’s in 10^th grade this year and can turn out a decent essay in his own time (as in, over multiple days), but getting him to write 3 essays in 2 hours might be a bit of a stretch...

 

My son has decided to take the ACT instead of the SAT, and we’ll have to apply separately for accommodations from them. They require documentation from within the last 3 years (the College Board is specifies 5 years), so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re considering the ACT. 

 

[rbk mama]

I just don't see how it's a probability.  For some of the exams they have to write 3 very structured essays super fast after doing the multiple choice test.  It's something kids practice all year in their AP classes to get good at.  So our kids would spend a year focused on the thing they're least good at (ramming out essays) when they might not do that in a regular DE class.  So it's both being able to do the test AND whether the compromises that type of class presents are worthwhile time suckers for your dc.  

 

Yes, this is why we are not strongly considering any of the AP exams that require such essays.  I have an older DC taking a WHAP course, and the essays are TOUGH.  I can't see dyslexic DS handing that.  Even if he were given twice the length of time.  And you are right in that I wouldn't want to spend so much of the year focused on something that is his greatest area of weakness.

 

On the other hand, there are APs that do not require essays:  Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Statistics, Computer Science....  These are things we're considering.

[rbk mama]

Hi, rbk mama! My son was granted 1.5x extra time plus keyboard accommodations for College Board tests; he would have received those had he chosen to take APs or SAT2s. Essay writing is still a significant weakness for him. It would have been pure torture for him to have to sit an exam with multiple essays. He did take the SAT and his accommodations helped bring his essay score into an "acceptable" range but it was not commensurate with his other scores. In his case, he was able to do dual enrollment and his credits transferred to his chosen university, making APs unnecessary. He, too, is STEM-focused and essay writing isn't an issue in his math, physics, and computer science courses. 

 

One thing to consider is that your son's ability to handle this type of test might change over the next 2-3 years, so you'll need to see where you're at then. How soon are you hoping to have him start taking these tests?

 

Hi Tokyomarie!!  It is wonderful to hear how College Board was able to work with you!  That is good news.  I think you are right in that his ability to handle tests will likely change over the next few years.  He is only in 7th this year, and I don't anticipate any major exams until 10th grade.  We will be getting him evaluated again in 9th so that it will be current for exams.

[rbk mama]

Hi there! My high schooler was approved for accommodations from the College Board last year, and has taken the AP Physics B and the Physics SAT 2 exams so far. He has dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD, and was granted 50% extra time for all sections, a large-block response booklet (no filling in bubbles!), small-group testing (although, logistically, this may be automatic if he has extra time?), and access to a computer for any essay questions.

 

My son also plans to take AP Chemistry, Calculus BC and Physics C, along with two more SAT 2s (tbd) over the next few years. None of these exams require a written response of more than a few sentences, and I think he should be able to handle them without too much trouble. He’s very much a STEM kid as well, though he’s intimidated by the AP Biology exam and has decided to stick with the SAT 2 if he takes a bio exam at all.

 

At this point, we’re waiting to see whether taking any other AP exams will be worth the time and effort. If it turns out that scoring a 3 or 4 on an AP history or English exam would give him useful credit at his future college, he may just go ahead and take one on in his senior year. He’s in 10^th grade this year and can turn out a decent essay in his own time (as in, over multiple days), but getting him to write 3 essays in 2 hours might be a bit of a stretch...

 

My son has decided to take the ACT instead of the SAT, and we’ll have to apply separately for accommodations from them. They require documentation from within the last 3 years (the College Board is specifies 5 years), so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re considering the ACT. 

 

Hurray!  This is the kind of inspiring story I was hoping to hear :hurray: .  The large-block response booklet is interesting -- I read somewhere else about the option to answer directly in the test booklet - is that what your son did?  That would be a huge help -- transferring responses to a small bubble answer sheet would be very time consuming/difficult for my DS.  Yes, we are hesitant about AP Bio as well.  SAT 2 exams all seem much more doable.  Thanks for sharing your experience!!

[ddavies]

Hurray!  This is the kind of inspiring story I was hoping to hear :hurray: .  The large-block response booklet is interesting -- I read somewhere else about the option to answer directly in the test booklet - is that what your son did?  That would be a huge help -- transferring responses to a small bubble answer sheet would be very time consuming/difficult for my DS.  Yes, we are hesitant about AP Bio as well.  SAT 2 exams all seem much more doable.  Thanks for sharing your experience!!

I'm glad to be able to help!

 

My son didn't write his answers directly in the test booklet - he was given a separate answer sheet with squares on it and he marked an X in the correct square for each question. Basically, it was a faster/easier version of the bubble sheet. I do remember reading that some students are allowed to write or circle their answers in the test booklet, but I'm not sure how the College Board makes that distinction? 

[Dmmetler]

I had permission to mark in the test book and have it hand scored and scribing for AP exams (about 25 years ago). Scribing is a pain in the tail, because you have to spell any specific terminology, verbalize punctuation marks, and so on. Typing would have been much, much easier, but at the time, typewriters were no longer common, and computers were considered to be too insecure. I will say my disabilities are physical, which I think is easier to get accommodations for.

[FrogMom5]

My ds has mild dyslexia.  He took the AP Physics B exam, SAT 2 Physics and Math, and a Math CLEP Test that his university required.  He did not have accommodations.  He was always the last one to complete the exam and didn't always finish all the questions.  His scores were really good, though.  I think he would have done even better on the ACT if he had had accommodations, but he did well enough to get merit scholarships at all 6 of the schools he applied to. 

 

I hope none of you take this as bragging.  I usually stay very quiet about his accomplishments.  In this thread though, I think you need to hear that your kids can do really well.  Dyslexic students are bright kids and it's frustrating to them and to us to see them struggle. 

 

If your children do well on the IOWA/CAT or other standardized tests without accommodations, they will probably do well on the College Board tests as well.  The idea to see how they do on practice tests is a really good idea.

 

I would not over worry the writing portion of the ACT/SAT.  Even the schools that required ds to take it, didn't seem to look at it or factor it in to admissions.  He didn't do so well on that section, but the schools didn't seem to care.  He got an A in his first semester English class last semester and seems to be headed toward the same grade in English 2 this semester.  Just make sure you look at the universities requirements for the ACT.  Also, your child's major may make a difference in how much weight is put on their essay section score.  It might not, but it is something to consider. 

 

One piece of advice that helped me when ds was in high school - don't look at your dc as freshmen, sophomores or even juniors and make a determination that they are not ready for college.  They seem to make a big maturity leap their last yr. and look a whole lot different than they do now.  We still worried if ds would sleep through class, forget things, lose papers/books, but he has managed his time well and is doing great.  Even if your dc need some support in college, chances are good they will do really well.

You all are great parents.

Denise

[Mom22ns]

My ds is not dyslexic but does have accommodations through the college board so he gets a keyboard for AP exams. He has taken AP classes, but it looks like we will not be able to find a school to host an AP exam for him. I had two schools agree initially to host a homeschooler. One dropped out when they heard accommodations, the other stayed with me if I payed extra. However, they are now not taking my calls or returning my emails when it is actually time to register. I guess they changed their mind.

 

Getting accommodations for the ACT was easier than through the college board for us and for ACT or SAT, the sites are guaranteed to accept, so there is no problem with actually getting to test.

[rbk mama]

My ds has mild dyslexia.  He took the AP Physics B exam, SAT 2 Physics and Math, and a Math CLEP Test that his university required.  He did not have accommodations.  He was always the last one to complete the exam and didn't always finish all the questions.  His scores were really good, though.  I think he would have done even better on the ACT if he had had accommodations, but he did well enough to get merit scholarships at all 6 of the schools he applied to. 

 

I hope none of you take this as bragging.  I usually stay very quiet about his accomplishments.  In this thread though, I think you need to hear that your kids can do really well.  Dyslexic students are bright kids and it's frustrating to them and to us to see them struggle. 

 

If your children do well on the IOWA/CAT or other standardized tests without accommodations, they will probably do well on the College Board tests as well.  The idea to see how they do on practice tests is a really good idea.

 

I would not over worry the writing portion of the ACT/SAT.  Even the schools that required ds to take it, didn't seem to look at it or factor it in to admissions.  He didn't do so well on that section, but the schools didn't seem to care.  He got an A in his first semester English class last semester and seems to be headed toward the same grade in English 2 this semester.  Just make sure you look at the universities requirements for the ACT.  Also, your child's major may make a difference in how much weight is put on their essay section score.  It might not, but it is something to consider. 

 

One piece of advice that helped me when ds was in high school - don't look at your dc as freshmen, sophomores or even juniors and make a determination that they are not ready for college.  They seem to make a big maturity leap their last yr. and look a whole lot different than they do now.  We still worried if ds would sleep through class, forget things, lose papers/books, but he has managed his time well and is doing great.  Even if your dc need some support in college, chances are good they will do really well.

You all are great parents.

Denise

 

 

Thank you so much for sharing!  I think it is definitely not bragging!!  I personally really need to hear these stories.  It can be so discouraging, seeing the hurdles this DS of mine has.  Sometimes when he's reading (for fun now, hooray!), I feel like I almost see steam coming up from his head, with those gears working so hard.  He is exhausted after reading for long stretches, just completely winded, collapsing on the coach.  And then its easy to wonder how on earth he going to achieve all that I know he is capable of, when he has to work so much harder than others to do simple things like read.  So anyway, I love to hear these stories.

 

And I appreciate the advice to wait and re-evaluate after a few years.  Past experience with this kid has already shown growth in huge leaps (just after I was despairing of any progress).  :)

[rbk mama]

My ds is not dyslexic but does have accommodations through the college board so he gets a keyboard for AP exams. He has taken AP classes, but it looks like we will not be able to find a school to host an AP exam for him. I had two schools agree initially to host a homeschooler. One dropped out when they heard accommodations, the other stayed with me if I payed extra. However, they are now not taking my calls or returning my emails when it is actually time to register. I guess they changed their mind.

 

Getting accommodations for the ACT was easier than through the college board for us and for ACT or SAT, the sites are guaranteed to accept, so there is no problem with actually getting to test.

 

Oh, man that stinks!!  I said a quick prayer for you just now to find a place for AP exams -- don't give up!   Even if it means driving a ways.  And this is a possibility I had not considered.  Taking any exam, including APs, is a slightly different process for us here in India where we live right now.  In some ways (for AP), its easier because the hosting sites are used to people from all over using them.  But I had not considered the issue of accommodations.  Blah.  I can see people here having a BIG problem with that.  We'll see; we have a few years.

[8filltheheart]

Since you stated you wanted encouragement, I thought I would share our experience. My youngest ds is a pretty severe dyslexic. He didn't read on grade level until late 4th/early 5th. His spelling is still pretty atrocious (he is now 19). His reading speed is still very slow. (He is not dysgraphic, so no experience there. His processing speeds are also on the low side.)

 

But, he is also very gifted. He always saw patterns and their relationships to numbers, even when he was really little. He taught himself multiplication when he was 6 by seeing the patterns of rows and columns on window panes, cookie sheets, and lego blocks. ;)

 

By the time hit high school, I hadn't really thought things through very well. He had no formal testing, so we didn't pursue extra time. (All this is going on at the same time his older brothers were in very serious crises. His oldest brother was incredibly ill with Lupus and his other older brother, an Aspie, was having all sorts of personal issues.) Testing for this ds was low on the totem pole. He was accelerated in math. He loves science. He took both the chem and cal BC exams w/o extended time in 10th grade and did great.

 

But, the ACT was killer. His math and English scores on the ACT were always very high. The reading and science reasoning scores were very low. (The SR section was always the lowest b/c he was in reading fatigue by the end of the test. Ironically, he was barely "college ready" according to the SR section, but he took AP chem in 10th and 5 calculus+based physics courses at the local universities in high school and always had the highest grade in his class. :P)

 

He found the SAT less reading intense and b/c the sections are broken between math and reading instead of huge single blocks in the ACT, he found he was able to recover somewhat during the math sections. While his SAT scores never reflected his actual abilities, he scored high enough to win multiple scholarships when he applied to college.

 

One thing we did to help him prepare for testing was to practice speed reading daily. We started off with 1 min sections 10x. He would read as fast as he could for 1 minute and then stop and tell what he had read (making sure comprehension was there.) We would repeat that 10x every day. As his speed increased, we increased it to 3 mins 3x. Eventually we increased it to 5 mins 2x. His reading speed increased enough that his reading score actually increased close to 200 pts. He couldn't maintain his stamina on the ACT, but it worked well enough for the SAT.

 

He opted to take the CLEP exam for US history. Much easier approach for him than taking a college history class or an AP.

 

When he applied to colleges, he avoided all colleges on the trimester or quarter system. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with the required reading pace. He stuck with traditional full semester schools. He is currently a freshman majoring in physics, math and electrical engineering and doing very well.

 

Hope that is encouraging for you. I had no idea when he was in 7th grade how on earth things were going to turn out. He was finally reading and writing was just starting to get to an appropriate level. His math, otoh, was incredibly strong. I would never have predicted the blossoming that would occur during high school. He will now say that he sees that being dyslexic is a gift (I need to get off the computer, but a simple summary would be bc he learned to appreciate hard struggles and knows he can overcome them, and he can rotate images easily in his mind, both which matter to him for his career goals.)

[rbk mama]

Since you stated you wanted encouragement, I thought I would share our experience. My youngest ds is a pretty severe dyslexic. He didn't read on grade level until late 4th/early 5th. His spelling is still pretty atrocious (he is now 19). His reading speed is still very slow. (He is not dysgraphic, so no experience there. His processing speeds are also on the low side.)

 

But, he is also very gifted. He always saw patterns and their relationships to numbers, even when he was really little. He taught himself multiplication when he was 6 by seeing the patterns of rows and columns on window panes, cookie sheets, and lego blocks. ;)

 

By the time hit high school, I hadn't really thought things through very well. He had no formal testing, so we didn't pursue extra time. (All this is going on at the same time his older brothers were in very serious crises. His oldest brother was incredibly ill with Lupus and his other older brother, an Aspie, was having all sorts of personal issues.) Testing for this ds was low on the totem pole. He was accelerated in math. He loves science. He took both the chem and cal BC exams w/o extended time in 10th grade and did great.

 

But, the ACT was killer. His math and English scores on the ACT were always very high. The reading and science reasoning scores were very low. (The SR section was always the lowest b/c he was in reading fatigue by the end of the test. Ironically, he was barely "college ready" according to the SR section, but he took AP chem in 10th and 5 calculus+based physics courses at the local universities in high school and always had the highest grade in his class. :p)

 

He found the SAT less reading intense and b/c the sections are broken between math and reading instead of huge single blocks in the ACT, he found he was able to recover somewhat during the math sections. While his SAT scores never reflected his actual abilities, he scored high enough to win multiple scholarships when he applied to college.

 

One thing we did to help him prepare for testing was to practice speed reading daily. We started off with 1 min sections 10x. He would read as fast as he could for 1 minute and then stop and tell what he had read (making sure comprehension was there.) We would repeat that 10x every day. As his speed increased, we increased it to 3 mins 3x. Eventually we increased it to 5 mins 2x. His reading speed increased enough that his reading score actually increased close to 200 pts. He couldn't maintain his stamina on the ACT, but it worked well enough for the SAT.

 

He opted to take the CLEP exam for US history. Much easier approach for him than taking a college history class or an AP.

 

When he applied to colleges, he avoided all colleges on the trimester or quarter system. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep up with the required reading pace. He stuck with traditional full semester schools. He is currently a freshman majoring in physics, math and electrical engineering and doing very well.

 

Hope that is encouraging for you. I had no idea when he was in 7th grade how on earth things were going to turn out. He was finally reading and writing was just starting to get to an appropriate level. His math, otoh, was incredibly strong. I would never have predicted the blossoming that would occur during high school. He will now say that he sees that being dyslexic is a gift (I need to get off the computer, but a simple summary would be bc he learned to appreciate hard struggles and knows he can overcome them, and he can rotate images easily in his mind, both which matter to him for his career goals.)

 

Thank you so much for sharing all of this!  [Wow, cannot imagine handling a seriously ill child with Lupus, and a child with Asperger's, at the same time as figuring out high school for your first dyslexic child. :ohmy: ]  Super encouraging what he was able to handle, and the bolded is full of helpful guidance I had not considered.  I didn't realize the structure of the SAT has a break in it that would help with reading fatigue - I can totally see that benefitting my DS. 

 

I love your tips for working on reading speed!  Hadn't considered that - I'm still just so happy he is picking up books to read for fun.  I can see him being up for that challenge (though maybe a bit grudgingly). 

 

And going for schools with a semester system again makes so much sense.  I feel like this is all "College Prep Info for Dyslexics" that must be written down somewhere (is it?).

 

(OH, and CLEP for US history... good idea!)

 

My DS, too, is really good at math and physics, and says "being an engineer sounds ridiculously fun."  He excels at crazy creative problem solving and is deadly at any game requiring spatial reasoning.  I think he does appreciate the strengths he has, but I'm not sure he sees dyslexia as a gift yet (though DH and I do; he is a remarkable kid). 

 

Thanks again for sharing your experience!! :)