Location for accommodations testing at the college level

[Serenade]

My son, who is a second semester sophomore at a local satellite campus for a community college, has recently received accommodations for the first time.  His accommodation is simply time and a half on tests.  My son does not feel he needs a special quiet room to take a test, and he merely wants the time extension.   One of his instructors is willing to let him stay after class and take his extra time in the same classroom as the other students.  The other instructor wants him to take his tests through disability services.  The problem with that is that it means he has to go to the main campus, which is in the downtown area of a large city.  It is a minimum of a half hour drive one way from the campus where he takes all of his classes.  My son does not drive.  Which means, of course, that I or my husband would have to find a way to get him there.  I don't understand why my son is not allowed to take the test on the same campus where he takes his classes.  It seems to me that this penalizes students on the satellite campus.   My son is thinking of just giving up the accommodation for that class because he doesn't want to deal with going to the other campus, and frankly, I really don't want to drive there, either.  It's a horrid, nerve-wrecking drive.   Which is why he attends classes at the local branch.  Anyhow, I was wondering if anyone here knows if this is legal for them to require him to take his accommodated test on the other campus. 

[1shortmomto4]

Have your son call the Disabilities office or, better yet, go in person and explain to them exactly what you wrote here.  Explain that it would be an additional burden and you need assistance with this particular professor in getting this remedied in a more workable solution - perhaps your ds could go to Professors office and take the exam.  Some professors are very understanding and accommodating and has the ability to allow the student to stay the extra time but sometimes there could be a class that follows and the use of the room may not be an option.  Some professors, as my ds found out, just flat out don't want to accommodate the student - no matter what the paperwork states.  Unfortunately, there are little to no laws just yet at the college level to enforce much of these accommodations but they are working on that.  My ds' disability counselor at the CC stated from day 1 that if he had a problem with any professor with regards to his accommodations, to contact her and she will intervene as her job is to represent the student.  The CC was great at this but the university was a whole other disappointing ballgame.

[Serenade]

51 minutes ago, 1shortmomto4 said:

Have your son call the Disabilities office or, better yet, go in person and explain to them exactly what you wrote here.  Explain that it would be an additional burden and you need assistance with this particular professor in getting this remedied in a more workable solution - perhaps your ds could go to Professors office and take the exam.  Some professors are very understanding and accommodating and has the ability to allow the student to stay the extra time but sometimes there could be a class that follows and the use of the room may not be an option.  Some professors, as my ds found out, just flat out don't want to accommodate the student - no matter what the paperwork states.  Unfortunately, there are little to no laws just yet at the college level to enforce much of these accommodations but they are working on that.  My ds' disability counselor at the CC stated from day 1 that if he had a problem with any professor with regards to his accommodations, to contact her and she will intervene as her job is to represent the student.  The CC was great at this but the university was a whole other disappointing ballgame.

 

Thanks for your input.  Unfortunately, my son's instructor for this course has his office on the main campus, not at the satellite campus.  Complicating matters for us is that my younger son has to be at yet a different CC at the same time the instructor would like my older son to be taking his accommodated test at the main campus.   My younger son once was allowed to take an early exam (no accommodations) in the library after signing an honesty agreement, so he wasn't directly supervised, but it seems like this professor won't go for that.  I'm in the process right now of urging my son to contact the disabilities advisor, but he is balking right now and just doesn't want to mess with it because it's too much of a bother. Not atypical for ADHD, I guess, but there is only so much I can do, especially if requiring him to go to the main campus is allowed under the law.

[kbutton]

Could the driving be addressed in the accommodations? There are plenty of students who cannot drive for other reasons related to disabilities. Maybe if the driving is addressed in his Section 504, the professor will be obligated to find a space on the satellite campus, particularly since you are committed to driving your other student. 

[Serenade]

13 hours ago, kbutton said:

Could the driving be addressed in the accommodations? There are plenty of students who cannot drive for other reasons related to disabilities. Maybe if the driving is addressed in his Section 504, the professor will be obligated to find a space on the satellite campus, particularly since you are committed to driving your other student. 

 

Well, I am proud of my son because he pushed back a little, on his own.  He forwarded the instructor's e-mail to his disability advisor, and asked how he could schedule a room on the local campus and who he needed to talk to.  And that if he couldn't take the exam locally, he would skip the accommodations for this first test.  Anyhow, he got a message back from the advisor requesting his exam dates, and she said she would try to find him a room.  Previously she suggested it might be necessary for him to go to the main campus, too.  I'm hoping she will truly follow through and help him.  

[1shortmomto4]

That is good news!  Fingers crossed. 

[PeterPan]

He’s doing the right thing fighting. It will make it easier for the next student.

[Serenade]

4 hours ago, PeterPan said:

He’s doing the right thing fighting. It will make it easier for the next student.

 

Yes.  I'm really excited for him.  He has been so reluctant to advocate for himself.   Today he got copied on an e-mail from the instructor to the disability advisor and the woman who will supervise his test on the local campus.  I've noticed that this professor is very careful about detailing everything in a message, which is good.  Even when the message detailed the instructor's lack of help for my son, it allowed my son to know what the situation was, and so he followed up.   He copied that e-mail to the advisor in his response, and that got the ball rolling.  I did suggest that he e-mail the instructor thanking him, to help make sure the instructor knows my son is not trying to be a pain. 

[Serenade]

Just wanting to add that my son had the note from the doctor to request accommodations his first semester at the community college, but he didn't follow up.  He mostly did OK until last semester, when he felt that he didn't have enough time on a chemistry test to demonstrate his true knowledge of the subject.  That is what finally got him to request the accommodations.  His Chem 2 teacher this semester is working with him easily, allowing him to come in early or stay later to finish the exam.  My son likes that better than having to go to a separate room.  Anyhow, he used every minute of his time and a half for his first chem test this semester, and he eeked out an 82.  Afterwards I asked him if he felt he would have done that well without the extra time, and he said, "no way." So I think that is what helped him push for the accommodations in his statistics class.  It's always hard to get something going, but once you've done it once, I think it gets easier.  He is going away to a 4-year school next year, so this has been good practice for him.

Thanks for your encouragement!

Edited February 9, 2020 by Serenade

[PeterPan]

23 hours ago, Serenade said:

My son likes that better than having to go to a separate room.

So fwiw, he should ask for the limited distraction testing environment if his accommodations say that. He should use EVERY tool he has. My dd is finishing up her bachelors and she's been using the accommodations the whole way. It's hard for them to get over that hurdle of being different. I'm just thinking that limited distractions in one sitting might get him the rest of the way, since his grades are right on the line. Another 5 points would make a big difference. And I can't imagine they want testing sessions broken up anyway. But some schools make thins more seamless than others. Where dd is (a private christian university) they invested a significant amount to upgrading their facilities, making it all very smooth. They have a testing center and she just goes there. I don't think she even goes to class on test days, or at least that's what I think she has said. So he might want to pick his 4 year carefully and see what they have. I'd be fighting for that limited distraction testing environment, since it's probably in his paperwork and probably going to make a difference. For my dd things like the air systems in the lecture halls can be an issue. He doesn't need to be dealing with that and it could vary by the class and room. So having a consistent approach that works might work out better. Or at least it's something to think about. 

[1shortmomto4]

Just remember - many universities do not do a great job in helping/assisting the student with disabilities.  Very early on my ds' disability counselor at the CC level said not to expect much help or assistance despite all the rules in place to provide the required accommodations.  This experience is great practice but be prepared.  My ds finished his degree at a big Christian university and each and every semester was like pulling teeth to get the accommodations he needed to succeed.  We chose this school because it appeared, on paper, to help those with hearing disabilities - turns out they are more focused on training people to sign but not help the deaf community.  We found that some professors find the use of accommodations annoying and an unfair crutch along with some made up diagnosis added in - the last professor my ds had was a doozy.  In the end my ds graduated and that is all that matters but it was a big hill to climb but it didn't need to be that way.

[Serenade]

17 hours ago, PeterPan said:

So fwiw, he should ask for the limited distraction testing environment if his accommodations say that. He should use EVERY tool he has. My dd is finishing up her bachelors and she's been using the accommodations the whole way. It's hard for them to get over that hurdle of being different. I'm just thinking that limited distractions in one sitting might get him the rest of the way, since his grades are right on the line. Another 5 points would make a big difference. And I can't imagine they want testing sessions broken up anyway. But some schools make thins more seamless than others. Where dd is (a private christian university) they invested a significant amount to upgrading their facilities, making it all very smooth. They have a testing center and she just goes there. I don't think she even goes to class on test days, or at least that's what I think she has said. So he might want to pick his 4 year carefully and see what they have. I'd be fighting for that limited distraction testing environment, since it's probably in his paperwork and probably going to make a difference. For my dd things like the air systems in the lecture halls can be an issue. He doesn't need to be dealing with that and it could vary by the class and room. So having a consistent approach that works might work out better. Or at least it's something to think about. 

 

This is definitely something to think about.  Thank you for posting.  I've had a hard time convincing him to follow through with accommodations at all, but I think he is realizing how much they help him and he is now more willing to ask.  His doctor note definitely gives him a distraction free place, and I believe he will get that for his statistics exams because his teacher doesn't want to stay extra so he will get a private testing room.  For now he is comfortable in the chem room.  Apparently there are a few other students who also come early and/or stay late, and I think that makes him feel more normal. 😀

Edited February 10, 2020 by Serenade

[Storygirl]

My kids who have accommodations are still in middle and high school. I already encourage them to use their accommodations, and they often (maybe usually) choose not to. Sigh. It can be hard to watch them reject these helps, as parents. As I think forward to when my two 8th graders will be in college, it's really helpful to hear what others are sharing about disability services at the university.

OP, I'm glad that your son decided to reach out to disability services and that a solution seems to be forthcoming. Kudos to him for self-advocating, even though it was uncomfortable for him to do so!