Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Testing accommodations for Disabled

I've been following and researching accommodations. I ran across this today. The first one is the text of the whole report. The second is a summary.

I'll give my impressions in a nutshell:
The Justice department is responsible for making sure that the testing companies are not violating civil rights of disabled.
GAO found that the justice dept hasn't really been doing much. They haven't updated their guidance to the testing companies since 1993 and they don't have a way of knowing how many complaints they have received or a way to figure out if there are systematic problems.
GAO did a review of testing companies and found that they think that their job is to provide "reasonable accommodations" while the ADAAA of 2009, fully enacted in 2011 says that they must ensure that the test reflects aptitude of the test taker.

It also says that testing companies report that GT students and those with LDs are the hardest to review for accommodations. Among other things, if previous testing shows the disabled student does as well as other nondisabled people, then it is support NOT to grant accommodations.

One other thing relevant to dysgraphics is that they are hesitant to allow computers or software due to the possibility that some questions may be left on the computer and compromise future tests.


http://www.gao.gov/assets/590/587367.pdf

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-40

Thanks for posting this mon - I don't have time to read through it right now but will look at it later on this weekend.


Our neuropsych told us that the reason the high stakes test companies only allow time+1/2 for extended time is that if they let people have longer time, they'd have enough time with the questions in front of them to start to be able to remember the questions in enough detail to write them down again after the test... hence leading to people stealing the questions to give to others to help someone else do better on the test. Who knew there was so much science behind test accommodations?!

BTW, our neuropsych also feels that eventually (5-10 years down the road), all of the high stakes tests will be given on the computer.

polarbear

FWIW, the College Board approved use of a keyboard for my PG and dysgraphic son - but his dysgraphia isn't mild, he has a formal diagnosis of a Disorder of Written Expression, he has a long history of using a keyboard or scribe for all testing and written assignments, had years of OT for fine motor and handwriting delays, and we had a recent evaluation showing handwritten writing performance significantly behind age norms with a significant achievement improvement with the use of keyboarding.

According to their website, the ACT won't even consider letting my son use a keyboard because he can physically hold a pencil.

I'd apply for accommodations as soon as you have all the relevant documentation lined up: once you are approved, the accommodations are good on all subsequent testing for the College Board, at least according to the accommodations letter we got.

If he can't write legibly at all, and you can get the school or a licensed professional somewhere to indicate that, it should be sufficient, especially with the diagnosis of DWE. We homeschool (partly because the schools did not want to/weren't equipped to deal w/the 2E issues), so we didn't have the complication of having the school IEP disagreeing with what the private evaluation said when we applied directly to the College Board for accommodations. Still, the school is giving the keyboarding accommodation, so that history should help. I'd apply ASAP so that you have a chance he can take the talent search test with accommodations.

ETA: The absolute worst they can do is tell you that they need more information to approve him, so you are no worse off applying now than if you wait until you have more testing. It's not like you only have one shot at getting accommodations approved.