Am I overreacting? College Board Accommodations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Contrary to what someone posted above, denials for extra time are common for ADHD. Be prepared to appeal. We did - got time and a half on SAT and double time on ACT. You have to be persistent and in their face.

There's no way that we'll get the decision in time to appeal.

[Anonymous]

From our recent experience over the past 2 years, the College Board often denies accommodations unless you can provide documentation (i.e. a psychoeducational test completed in the past three years) that your child needs the accommodations. My child's counselor submitted the accommodations that he had been using since elementary school and was originally denied. After we went out and spent thousands of dollars to get him re-tested, he was able to get his accommodations. The whole situation was bogus. Parents should not be obligated to spend significant amounts of money so that their child can get the same accommodations they have been using in school. The denial specifically said that our testing was older than three years and we would have to submit current testing for an appeal.

In terms of what this counselor did by not filing the request with the College Board in an timely manner and also leaving out key accommodations, you need to notify the principal. That is completely unacceptable and very unfair to your child. The counselor needs to be held accountable so this does not happen to other children.

[Anonymous]

All documentation must have been within 3 years. Our (Catholic school) counselor was diligent and applied early so DD did get SAT accommodations. With the same documentation and eventually an appeal, she was denied any ACT accommodation. (Which is just what the counselor predicted). But I never figured out the difference why one said yes and the other no. DD also pre-tested much better on the ACTs but decided against taking them without time and a half. BTW, you'll need to do all the neuro tests and letters again if you'll want accommodations in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an AP teacher, I'd like to reassure you. I have multiple students who will receive accommodations in the form of extra time. These students were diagnosed with mild ADHD only, so you should be fine. I can't remember College Board ever denying accommodations to one of ours students. They are very lenient (too lenient) about this.

This is wrong. We have been turned down for accommodations by College Board and we have unequivocal testing. My testing psychologist was not optimistic that we would receive accommodations (we have appealed twice and been turned down) as she told us that it is getting increasingly difficult to get accommodations anymore.

OP, I feel for you. We are resigned that we won't get accommodations for the AP and we are just hopeful that the ACT will be reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From our recent experience over the past 2 years, the College Board often denies accommodations unless you can provide documentation (i.e. a psychoeducational test completed in the past three years) that your child needs the accommodations. My child's counselor submitted the accommodations that he had been using since elementary school and was originally denied. After we went out and spent thousands of dollars to get him re-tested, he was able to get his accommodations. The whole situation was bogus. Parents should not be obligated to spend significant amounts of money so that their child can get the same accommodations they have been using in school. The denial specifically said that our testing was older than three years and we would have to submit current testing for an appeal.

I agree with the requirement for testing every 3 years. You should consider yourself lucky that your school didn't ask for updated documentation before now to continue providing accommodation - they should have.

[Anonymous]

PP, also should mention we have $6k worth of testing plus several hundred dollars worth of supplemental letters.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have a link to stats that show how many and which accomodations are granted?

From what I have read here sometimes I get the feeling that my DC is the only one who gets what he gets. (1 1/2 time, reader and scribe)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a link to stats that show how many and which accomodations are granted?

From what I have read here sometimes I get the feeling that my DC is the only one who gets what he gets. (1 1/2 time, reader and scribe)

I don't think College Board publishes that info.

My DC got most of what we asked for - 1.5 time, keyboard for essays. Did not get keyboard for short answers (eg for math/chemistry APs).

[Anonymous]

Another option is to lawyer up and sue, sue, sue. This is your kid's life here. Unbelievable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another option is to lawyer up and sue, sue, sue. This is your kid's life here. Unbelievable.

What?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another option is to lawyer up and sue, sue, sue. This is your kid's life here. Unbelievable.

OP here, I have to admit that this has crossed my mind, but I don't know what I'd ask for. Special Education Law lets you go to hearing to ask for specific "relief", and if there was a solution I could think of, I might do that. But it's not like I can go to court to force College Board to make a faster decision, because College Board isn't the one who messed up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an AP teacher, I'd like to reassure you. I have multiple students who will receive accommodations in the form of extra time. These students were diagnosed with mild ADHD only, so you should be fine. I can't remember College Board ever denying accommodations to one of ours students. They are very lenient (too lenient) about this.

This is wrong. We have been turned down for accommodations by College Board and we have unequivocal testing. My testing psychologist was not optimistic that we would receive accommodations (we have appealed twice and been turned down) as she told us that it is getting increasingly difficult to get accommodations anymore.

OP, I feel for you. We are resigned that we won't get accommodations for the AP and we are just hopeful that the ACT will be reasonable.

We were told by our child's college counselor and special Ed coordinator that College Bd accommodations are indeed getting harder to get for ADHD. Not guaranteed even with testing and using them in school.

Other SN and LDs seem to get less pushback.

[Anonymous]

I can understand your frustration but I think you need to take a more global view here given the current circumstances.

Let him try the SAT with the current accommodations and see what kind of score he earns.

He can always try the ACT, too. These tests are not as important as they once were. Use GPA to figure out what schools to consider.

You making such a big deal is only going to make your son more nervous.

They are long tests, but he goes to school everyday which is a long day, even with accommodations. And he's taking APs, so he sounds like a decent student. Give him some credit. It sounds like you are talking about a 6 year old ADHD kid, rather than a 16 yr old.

[Anonymous]

OP - I would document what this counselor failed to do in a note to her with CC to the principal and the impact on your child. Then I would request a change of high school counselor. Also for a heads up I would definitely apply to one "Early Action" or rolling admissions school as soon as possible in the fall of senior year so you get the counselor to work on it while still fresh and avoid the deluge around January.

You may also want to do your research ahead of time in all colleges that DS may be applying to in order to see what kind of documentation will be required to obtain disability supports. You can just make phone calls as no record would be kept and ask especially about how current must testing results be? I have prepared just this information standing out for students with disabilities for a Transition Fair in our area next weekend, although the focus is on those with more severe challenges.

Finally, I guess for anything important in the college application process you might need a separate wall calendar to keep everything moving forward and to be able to followup on teachers with recommendations, counselors on things like you have mentioned as well as pacing your son to get applications done next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can understand your frustration but I think you need to take a more global view here given the current circumstances.

Let him try the SAT with the current accommodations and see what kind of score he earns.

He can always try the ACT, too. These tests are not as important as they once were. Use GPA to figure out what schools to consider.

You making such a big deal is only going to make your son more nervous.

They are long tests, but he goes to school everyday which is a long day, even with accommodations. And he's taking APs, so he sounds like a decent student. Give him some credit. It sounds like you are talking about a 6 year old ADHD kid, rather than a 16 yr old.

So the accommodation is for a medical issue. I don't want to disclose his situation but something similar would be a student with diabetes who needs breaks for blood sugar testing, or a student with a seizure disorder who asks for a break when they feel the aura that for some kids precedes the seizure.

The medical issue is severe enough that he is not able to attend school full time. At school he also has an accommodation where tests are rescheduled if he is symptomatic. That accommodation is not available for APs.