Yes, school is wondering why we want a 504 when he's doing so well and he doesn't use many of the accommodations. I feel a little silly saying he needs something that he doesn't use.
What accommodations does he have that he isn't using? Could you list them here? I'd also go through each of them with him to get an answer re why he isn't using them. There are several different reasons students don't use accommodations - with my ds we've run into each of these reasons:
* He was uncomfortable using the accommodation because it was an obvious accommodation that peers weren't using
* It wasn't convenient (or easy) to use - extended time on tests in high school, for instance, means he has to give up part of his lunch hour in some cases
* He doesn't want to have to be in the position of needing the accommodation, therefore he doesn't use it
* Teachers passively (or actively) discourage it or make it difficult to use
* It's not the best solution for the thing we're attempting to accommodate for, so he has either worked out a better accommodation for himself or has given up
* The actual accommodation is difficult to use (we're run into this with note-taking and voice-to-text apps)
* He perceives it doesn't make a difference
I thought there was some kind of use-it-or-lose-it rule? For instance, since he doesn't use extra time in the classroom, he's not allowed extra time on state testing.
We don't have a "use-it-or-lose-it" rule here, but the intent is that the accommodations on the 504 are *needed* - which means that in most instances, they would be used in class. For state/standardized testing accommodations to be included you have to have proof that there is a need, and according to policy the same accommodations have to be *given* in class. This is technically different than being "used" in class. My ds has an extended time accommodation for all classroom and state testing as part of his 504 plan, which means he can use extended time on tests in the classroom when he needs to. He doesn't have to use it every time, and in fact, he rarely needs it in the classroom... because:
As another poster pointed out above, there is often a large difference between classroom and state testing circumstances. Re dysgraphia, my ds always has the option of using his keyboard in the classroom on testing, but on state testing he can only keyboard on essay questions, which only appear on one type of writing assessment. So answering questions on state testing does take him longer when he's writing or circling an answer by hand. Classroom tests are also usually given with a larger time window for answering that state/standardized/high stakes testing -so although my ds doesn't use extended time frequently, he *is* one of the last kids in the class typically to turn in a test. This is something you might want to clarify with your ds or your teachers if you are truly considering dropping the extended time or if the school pushes you to drop it. If the school is pushing you to drop it, I'd request current testing showing that whatever testing data identifying the need initially has changed (example: relatively low processing speed score on WISC for writing, reading tests for dyslexia, discrepancy in scores for timed vs untimed achievement tests etc). If it hasn't changed, the need is still there. Also ask for a timed handwriting sample and compare # of letters per minute to grade-level peers.
And unless he types EVERYTHING, he can't use a keyboard on state testing.
Do you mean everything in the classroom or everything on the state testing? This really doesn't make sense, but from two different perspectives.
First - if it means everything on the state testing, it's very normal to only allow keyboarding on essay questions. I've never heard of a student keyboarding fill-in-the-blanks or multiple choice answers on state testing.
Second - if he's not keyboarding *everything* in the classroom, what is he keyboarding? It totally makes sense that he shouldn't have a keyboarding accommodation for state testing if he's using handwriting for essay questions in classwork, but you've stated that all of the students use keyboarding (one reason the school is saying he doesn't need a 504 accommodation for it). This is really circular logic that is missing the point - dysgraphic students need to keyboard to bypass all the issues with handwriting that prevent them from showing their full knowledge when using handwriting. They may be able to compose an essay, but their working memory will be taken up with the how-to of writing letters, and they won't have access to the wm needed for correct spelling, correct grammar, or adding the detail to their writing that they can add when using keyboarding or giving oral responses. I think it's really important that you obtain some samples of your ds' current work using handwriting vs oral response and vs keyboarding to get an idea of currently how much dysgraphia is impacting your ds. Also ask him to handwrite for you and see if it causes him wrist pain.
Third question about keyboarding "everything" - if this is coming from the school, are they saying he needs to be keyboarding short answer questions too? My ds has an accommodation allowing him to keyboard anything and everything, but he typically does not keyboard "short" answers on science tests - things that are one-two sentences max and don't require open-ended creative writing.
polarbear
