Lockdown browsers and dyslexia accommodations?

[Anonymous]

Our high school is moving to have all language arts finals be done in class in “lockdown browsers” with all sources provided in print.

My dyslexic kid has in her IEP accommodations for screen readers, spellcheck, grammar check and extended time.

Have others successfully lobbied for different access during exams? This is all in response to ChatGPT.

[Anonymous]

If an accommodation is spell check and grammar check id think the school has to find a way to provide that, even if they have locked down the browsers of other students.

Have you asked them yet? Maybe her browser could be locked down but she’d be allowed access to Microsoft Word so she has spell/grammar check? It seems worth starting the conversation! I know my dyslexic high schooler would do terribly on essays without spell/grammar check, and he’s a smart kid who likes English class.

[Anonymous]

If it's in her IEP, it must be supplied to her, even if the rules say that other kids can't have the devices necessary for her to have the accommodations.

For example, my kiddo had an IEP accommodation to use a phone in class to take pics of assignments, whiteboard, teacher notes on blackboard, etc. This had to be provided even when the school as a whole had a no cell phone policy.

Now, the school can try to provide something that is equivalent. But they can't refuse to provide it on the basis of general school rules, even when they pertain to security or privacy.

[Anonymous]

Private schools don't have to follow IEP's and I swear the whole fear of cheating is making it hard to use your accommodations.

[Anonymous]

Very curious about this too

[Anonymous]

OP replying back, this is a private school as we're no longer in the area. And I can't believe that I missed that the school's new IEP format has a boilerplate checkbox for use of computer which then says that no spellcheck, grammar check, cut and paste will be provided. These are all common tools DD uses for classwork with her teacher's knowledge.

But since the official IEP excludes the tools, they are digging in. The compromise we've negotiated allows her to use a computer with electronic copies of her references so she can use her screen reader. They will also do a screen recording to be able to verify that she isn't accessing anything she shouldn't.

How do other's accommodations read for dyslexic/ dysgraphic students?

When we were in FCPS she had the following:
-respond using Word Processor
-spell checker
But that was for 2nd grade and there was no grammar check in common use at the time.

I'm curious how the standards for accommodations are evolving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP replying back, this is a private school as we're no longer in the area. And I can't believe that I missed that the school's new IEP format has a boilerplate checkbox for use of computer which then says that no spellcheck, grammar check, cut and paste will be provided. These are all common tools DD uses for classwork with her teacher's knowledge.

But since the official IEP excludes the tools, they are digging in. The compromise we've negotiated allows her to use a computer with electronic copies of her references so she can use her screen reader. They will also do a screen recording to be able to verify that she isn't accessing anything she shouldn't.

How do other's accommodations read for dyslexic/ dysgraphic students?

When we were in FCPS she had the following:
-respond using Word Processor
-spell checker
But that was for 2nd grade and there was no grammar check in common use at the time.

I'm curious how the standards for accommodations are evolving.

Accommodations aren’t an “out” they’re supposed to be utilized for a short time while the child learns new skills and no longer needs to accommodation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP replying back, this is a private school as we're no longer in the area. And I can't believe that I missed that the school's new IEP format has a boilerplate checkbox for use of computer which then says that no spellcheck, grammar check, cut and paste will be provided. These are all common tools DD uses for classwork with her teacher's knowledge.

But since the official IEP excludes the tools, they are digging in. The compromise we've negotiated allows her to use a computer with electronic copies of her references so she can use her screen reader. They will also do a screen recording to be able to verify that she isn't accessing anything she shouldn't.

How do other's accommodations read for dyslexic/ dysgraphic students?

When we were in FCPS she had the following:
-respond using Word Processor
-spell checker
But that was for 2nd grade and there was no grammar check in common use at the time.

I'm curious how the standards for accommodations are evolving.

Accommodations aren’t an “out” they’re supposed to be utilized for a short time while the child learns new skills and no longer needs to accommodation.

It depends on the disability. A kid in a wheelchair will always need the elevator; they aren't going to learn to walk. My kid with slow processing speed will always need extra time on tests; she isn't going to learn to go faster. People don't outgrow their disabilities.

OP, one possible accommodation for you is no points taken off for spelling (unless it's a spelling test).

[Anonymous]

My son’s accommodations in a private school explicitly allow spell check and grammar check for all assignments that are not designed to test his spelling or grammar. By high school there are no spelling tests and grammar tests are rare, but when he did have them he didn’t get to use grammar check, of course. His school uses Google docs for all work and he has Grammarly installed.

The exclusion in your kid’s accommodations of those tools seems really unhelpful for a dyslexic kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP replying back, this is a private school as we're no longer in the area. And I can't believe that I missed that the school's new IEP format has a boilerplate checkbox for use of computer which then says that no spellcheck, grammar check, cut and paste will be provided. These are all common tools DD uses for classwork with her teacher's knowledge.

But since the official IEP excludes the tools, they are digging in. The compromise we've negotiated allows her to use a computer with electronic copies of her references so she can use her screen reader. They will also do a screen recording to be able to verify that she isn't accessing anything she shouldn't.

How do other's accommodations read for dyslexic/ dysgraphic students?

When we were in FCPS she had the following:
-respond using Word Processor
-spell checker
But that was for 2nd grade and there was no grammar check in common use at the time.

I'm curious how the standards for accommodations are evolving.

Accommodations aren’t an “out” they’re supposed to be utilized for a short time while the child learns new skills and no longer needs to accommodation.

This post shows a complete misunderstanding of dyslexia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP replying back, this is a private school as we're no longer in the area. And I can't believe that I missed that the school's new IEP format has a boilerplate checkbox for use of computer which then says that no spellcheck, grammar check, cut and paste will be provided. These are all common tools DD uses for classwork with her teacher's knowledge.

But since the official IEP excludes the tools, they are digging in. The compromise we've negotiated allows her to use a computer with electronic copies of her references so she can use her screen reader. They will also do a screen recording to be able to verify that she isn't accessing anything she shouldn't.

How do other's accommodations read for dyslexic/ dysgraphic students?

When we were in FCPS she had the following:
-respond using Word Processor
-spell checker
But that was for 2nd grade and there was no grammar check in common use at the time.

I'm curious how the standards for accommodations are evolving.

Accommodations aren’t an “out” they’re supposed to be utilized for a short time while the child learns new skills and no longer needs to accommodation.

This post shows a complete misunderstanding of dyslexia.

Dyslexia can be managed. If you never teach the missing skills and make excuses then it won’t be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP replying back, this is a private school as we're no longer in the area. And I can't believe that I missed that the school's new IEP format has a boilerplate checkbox for use of computer which then says that no spellcheck, grammar check, cut and paste will be provided. These are all common tools DD uses for classwork with her teacher's knowledge.

But since the official IEP excludes the tools, they are digging in. The compromise we've negotiated allows her to use a computer with electronic copies of her references so she can use her screen reader. They will also do a screen recording to be able to verify that she isn't accessing anything she shouldn't.

How do other's accommodations read for dyslexic/ dysgraphic students?

When we were in FCPS she had the following:
-respond using Word Processor
-spell checker
But that was for 2nd grade and there was no grammar check in common use at the time.

I'm curious how the standards for accommodations are evolving.

There you go: private school. There's no recourse. They don't have to allow any accommodations at all.