SAT Accommodations without prior 504

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh right NOW the child need accommodations-- this is why they are so strict on reviving them for SAT/ACT. It is very common for kids to magically need accommodations their junior year.

TO is real and something that should be taken advantage of for your child. Also colleges will accept neuropsych and may have your child register with the disability office. There aren't really accommodations in the classroom. Maybe some audiobooks and things like that. There are testing accommodations which is 100% up to the student to take advantage of all on their own.

So sure you can say this is all for college but parents who have spent a decade or more crying during IEP meetings, testing their kids, screaming at their kids, crying over grades and concerns IF their child will ever finish high school and/or go to college, working on meds to help their child really are giving you the side eye. The ones who had kids do the college process before TO was a thing are just straight up laughing at you now. Sorry. Truth.

How kind of you. Hope it makes you feel better to give side eye and laugh at someone just trying their best after missing the boat when it mattered.
The truth is that we have been struggling with homework, deadlines, time management, follow through, etc for years. A lot of frustration and stress. And we have been wrong about the underlying cause. Raised concerns in the past with teachers, his pediatrician and were made to feel like we were worrying over nothing- he's really smart, gets good grades (with a lot of effort behind the scenes) and is an easy going kid in class. Basically told he likely just needed coaching to get more organized, not a diagnosis. Standardized tests have always been extremely stressful for him and he never does well. Neuropsych results were eye opening. We should have advocated harder a long time ago and we didn't.

NP. May I ask why you are worrying about SATs when TO is an option? He has so many good college choices. I would not waste a minute worrying about the SATs. Getting a 504 in place may be worth it because it carries over into college, so I would do it for that purpose, but don’t worry about the SATs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What grade is he in? Our DD was diagnosed with ADHD after the pandemic. She really struggled with online learning and asked to be tested. We were surprised when she was diagnosed with ADHD. She is at a Big 3 and the doctor told us to consider switching schools. The school turned down our request for accomodation because her grades were "okay". (A-,B+). Technically those grades are good but it did not reflect her potential. You need to get accomodations from the school to qualify for SATs junior year. I gave up and was going to let it slide but my friend pushed me to fight for DD. She said we had to get the accomodations at least one year before the SATs. Thank God for my friend. DD took the ACTs and it's much harder to get extra time,even with accomodation. I had to write multiple times and challenge their decision. It was a months long process. She took the ACTs twice. The first time without accomodation. The second time we got the accomodation the day before the second test! ADHD manifests itself later for girls and is often missed or misdiagnosed. Her problem was that she thinks too fast and skips information. She makes ups words to fill the spots she misses! We had to get her to slow down, take breaks and refocus. So long story short, you need at least a one year history of accomodations before you can get extra time for SAT/ACT. It doesn't have to be a 504 but the school needs a record of it. It's much easier to get accomodations if you start in MS. I was told that extra time matters more for ACT.

“Thank God” is a bit dramatic.

She was not cured of cancer, she was allowed something that improved her SAT score.

You people really need to get college admissions in perspective.

Yes, you are right. Although I think your interpretation of Thank God is different from mine. I don't follow Western religion so I don't put much meaning into those words. I've been told I'm religiously insensitive. Maybe because I think religion is the cause of so much strife in the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS has had, and used, accommodations, including extra time, since middle school and was denied extra time for the PSAT. Our school told us they’re denying everyone unless there are intellectual disabilities. The fact that he has an above-average IQ and decent grades (As, Bs and one C at a well-regarded private) apparently means he’s not disabled enough to qualify.

My child who does not have intellectual disabilities had no trouble getting accommodations. He's had an IEP for autism since kindergarten. The vast majority of people taking the SATs with accommodations don't have intellectual disabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,

I don't understand your hesitation to apply for a 504. It won't guarantee accommodations on the SAT/ACT but it will certainly make it more likely.

Yes, it's late, but if you can document that you thought the results were accurate enough to push for accommodations, and that once she has them and she uses them consistently, that will mean something.

But the fact that you don't think these results are significant enough to get help now at school is a sign that you don't think she's actually impacted by the ADHD.

This. Needing extra time comes at a very real cost. Everything takes longer -- classwork, homework, reading, studying, test prep. It's not just, my kid would get a higher score. Kids who are doing fine in life and school without extra time yet think it's a way to get a higher score take advantage of those of us with kids who struggle every single day with everything.

[Anonymous]

A well-written neuropsychological report is the gold standard in documentation, OP.
It's the basis on which 504s and IEPs are constructed, it's the original expert report, written by someone who has a PhD. There is literally no higher authority when it comes to evaluating learning disabilities and education-related mental health disorders.

Most school psychologists are not PhDs, and do not have that level of expertise. It should not matter at all why your child's circumstances were such that they do not have formal services and accommodation at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
A well-written neuropsychological report is the gold standard in documentation, OP.
It's the basis on which 504s and IEPs are constructed, it's the original expert report, written by someone who has a PhD. There is literally no higher authority when it comes to evaluating learning disabilities and education-related mental health disorders.

Most school psychologists are not PhDs, and do not have that level of expertise. It should not matter at all why your child's circumstances were such that they do not have formal services and accommodation at school.

I disagree. A well-written neuropsychological is critical, but it's answering the question "with what accommodations could this kid be successful?" Reports from school tell you what accommodations the kid actually uses. The fact that OP isn't even planning on asking to have these accommodations at school means that the kid isn't practicing them, and isn't being set up to use them in college. So, the testing needs to be done under the same circumstances they'll have in college. It's not fair to expect a school to use test scores that were taken with accommodations for a kid who won't use those same accommodations in college.

A kid who has applied for accommodations from a private school, and been denied, but would use them if they were able, is somewhat different, although it raises the question of why the family chose to leave them there if the accommodations were actually needed.

But a student who doesn't pursue a 504 is saying that they either don't need or don't want to use the accommodations.

But, maybe I'm misunderstanding and OP didn't actually mean that she wasn't applying for a 504.

[Anonymous]

15:18 again. My point is that it doesn't matter to the specialists approving the requests at CB. They know how to weigh the evidence before them and won't be "swayed" by the existence of a 504, which is sometimes much easier to set in place than the appropriately documented neuropsych recommendation for services.

I suggest you try to get accommodations directly through the College Board. Time is not on your side here, and if you want to establish a 504 and then request SAT/AP accommodations, it might take too much time. You're better off doing a direct request. Or if you want to cover all your bases, maybe start both ASAP (504 and CB accommodations, and see how rapidly the two processes go).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A well-written neuropsychological report is the gold standard in documentation, OP.
It's the basis on which 504s and IEPs are constructed, it's the original expert report, written by someone who has a PhD. There is literally no higher authority when it comes to evaluating learning disabilities and education-related mental health disorders.

Most school psychologists are not PhDs, and do not have that level of expertise. It should not matter at all why your child's circumstances were such that they do not have formal services and accommodation at school.

I disagree. A well-written neuropsychological is critical, but it's answering the question "with what accommodations could this kid be successful?" Reports from school tell you what accommodations the kid actually uses. The fact that OP isn't even planning on asking to have these accommodations at school means that the kid isn't practicing them, and isn't being set up to use them in college. So, the testing needs to be done under the same circumstances they'll have in college. It's not fair to expect a school to use test scores that were taken with accommodations for a kid who won't use those same accommodations in college.

A kid who has applied for accommodations from a private school, and been denied, but would use them if they were able, is somewhat different, although it raises the question of why the family chose to leave them there if the accommodations were actually needed.

But a student who doesn't pursue a 504 is saying that they either don't need or don't want to use the accommodations.

But, maybe I'm misunderstanding and OP didn't actually mean that she wasn't applying for a 504.

PP you replied to. There are many different sorts of schools, and non-school educational situations, and the person at CB perusing requests will automatically assume that a child who needs test accommodations also needs formalized accommodations in their particular educational setting. Sometimes, schools accommodate children without formal plans in place. Sometimes, the particular disabilities only show up in test settings. The neuropysch should describe all this in detail.

I think if the student has an IEP, which is much harder to obtain, then yes, it does bolster the request. But 504s are a dime-a-dozen and carry little weight. The most important factor is the neuropsych, which contains detailed numerical values along with the professional's interpretation.

[Anonymous]

will NOT automatically assume, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,

I don't understand your hesitation to apply for a 504. It won't guarantee accommodations on the SAT/ACT but it will certainly make it more likely.

Yes, it's late, but if you can document that you thought the results were accurate enough to push for accommodations, and that once she has them and she uses them consistently, that will mean something.

But the fact that you don't think these results are significant enough to get help now at school is a sign that you don't think she's actually impacted by the ADHD.

No hesitation. As I said in a previous post we are pursuing that now. And we have learned from the IEP/504 coordinator that this will take some time. My original question was about any experience with successfully requesting accommodation directly with CB when DS doesn't have a long history of formal school based support.

As for why not just go TO - yes grateful that exists. We expect that will knock him out of consideration in many instances and that's okay - is what it is. As asked and answered many times on this forum, seems TO isn't truly optional for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,

I don't understand your hesitation to apply for a 504. It won't guarantee accommodations on the SAT/ACT but it will certainly make it more likely.

Yes, it's late, but if you can document that you thought the results were accurate enough to push for accommodations, and that once she has them and she uses them consistently, that will mean something.

But the fact that you don't think these results are significant enough to get help now at school is a sign that you don't think she's actually impacted by the ADHD.

No hesitation. As I said in a previous post we are pursuing that now. And we have learned from the IEP/504 coordinator that this will take some time. My original question was about any experience with successfully requesting accommodation directly with CB when DS doesn't have a long history of formal school based support.

As for why not just go TO - yes grateful that exists. We expect that will knock him out of consideration in many instances and that's okay - is what it is. As asked and answered many times on this forum, seems TO isn't truly optional for everyone.

In that case, I'd just wait and apply for the accommodations after you get the 504.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,

I don't understand your hesitation to apply for a 504. It won't guarantee accommodations on the SAT/ACT but it will certainly make it more likely.

Yes, it's late, but if you can document that you thought the results were accurate enough to push for accommodations, and that once she has them and she uses them consistently, that will mean something.

But the fact that you don't think these results are significant enough to get help now at school is a sign that you don't think she's actually impacted by the ADHD.

No hesitation. As I said in a previous post we are pursuing that now. And we have learned from the IEP/504 coordinator that this will take some time. My original question was about any experience with successfully requesting accommodation directly with CB when DS doesn't have a long history of formal school based support.

As for why not just go TO - yes grateful that exists. We expect that will knock him out of consideration in many instances and that's okay - is what it is. As asked and answered many times on this forum, seems TO isn't truly optional for everyone.

Assuming you’re not going for the most selective colleges or certain schools in the South, I truly do think it’s an option. Instead of trying to squeeze your child into a certain path, build a college list that would welcome them. You’ll save yourself a lot of wasted energy.

[Anonymous]

Why is extra time always the go-to ask? My kid has ADHD and has been medicated since 9th grade. that was-life changing. the endless homework battles and procrastination and disorganization got about 90% better within a month. this kid went from getting A-/B+ grades at a challenging private to straight high As. he/she now finishes assessments with time to spare. Extra time would actually not change anything and he/she has classic ADHD (medication has a complete calming effect)

[Anonymous]

If your child never had accommodations in school, it is HIGHLY unlikely they will get accommodations for the SAT. College Board is very astute when it comes to people gaming the system. Any kid who is going for extra time on the placement test, but not in school is highly suspect. Even if he got accommodations starting in junior year, it is still suspect. Sorry.

My kid has had a 504 since 2nd grade. He was tested twice after than (middle school and high school) with same diagnosis and continued with accommodations through HS. These are the kids who should get the extra time...not the kid who panics when they realize they have to sit for a test that may determine what school he gets into. Sorry.

Luckily, mine was able to ace the ACT and got into a top 20. He deserved it. Your kid is just going to have to work harder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is extra time always the go-to ask? My kid has ADHD and has been medicated since 9th grade. that was-life changing. the endless homework battles and procrastination and disorganization got about 90% better within a month. this kid went from getting A-/B+ grades at a challenging private to straight high As. he/she now finishes assessments with time to spare. Extra time would actually not change anything and he/she has classic ADHD (medication has a complete calming effect)

AHDH IQ tests usually show a significant gaps between GAI IQ and processing speed, with PS being much lower. In one of my kids case, more than 2 SDs lower. The kid had to learn to slow their brain functioning down to their PS, if that make sense. Which is medication, but also, meditation, using hands with fidgets, etc.

No OP, I would not expect CB final accommodations without school accommodations unless there was a recent change, like a TBI/ serious concussion. And definitely not if no accommodations were requested from the CB for any APs taken in 10th or the PSAT. Why a kid needs 1.5 time for the SAT and normal tests and PSAT/ APs/ IBs is a legit question.

Also, 1.5 time is a double edged sword. They usually test with other kids with the same accommodations. So, they have to use the entire 1.5 time or sit there and be quiet while the other kids do. Which makes the entire test 1.5 times longer. Which is exhausting. It took about 6 hours for DS. Fortunately, he was and done. He had the huge GAI/PS spread and needed it. But, I wouldn’t wish the never ending SAT on a kid who didn’t.

In fact DD’s ADHD got in the way of extended time. She could concentrate long enough to do more than 2-3 sections. She needed a short release Adderall around lunch to stay on task and finish. At school, she went to the nurse at lunch, but there was no way to give it to her during testing, and carrying it and self administering is illegal in HS. So, she sat for the ACT without applying for accommodations and added the equivalent of 200 points.

If your kid doesn’t need the extra time now, don’t assume it makes testing results better. It trades on issue for another.

BTW, both my kids dropped their accommodations in college. They worked with an EF coach in MS/HS, and that was always the plan. The older on is at a SLAC and was able to informally request extra time in the one math class it was necessary. The dropped them after HS and never looked back.