Heard a podcast claiming 30% of college students disabled?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC was a Head TA at top 10 university and he was in charge of grading exams, papers etc.

He said about 25-30% get caught cheating and that about the same % asks for special "accommodations" based on ADH/ADHD etc. every single time there is a test, paper etc.

He thinks most of those seeking untimed test, extra time etc. were fake.

I just want to know what is going on at Stanford. 38% is 20% more than most schools, and it is not a science (or even a California) thing, given MIT and CIT are so low…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC was a Head TA at top 10 university and he was in charge of grading exams, papers etc.

He said about 25-30% get caught cheating and that about the same % asks for special "accommodations" based on ADH/ADHD etc. every single time there is a test, paper etc.

He thinks most of those seeking untimed test, extra time etc. were fake.

Well, I have taught at an Ivy and a SLAC and this was not my experience at all, not even close. The percentage granted accommodations was much smaller and the students who were allowed extra time rarely took it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard that even in law schools students are getting exemptions from timed finals.

It kind of blows my mind that in 2 decades we have basically thrown out measuring processing speed as a type of academic skill relevant to assessment. I guess I am biased since speed and tests are my strong point, but I do think that the capacity to absorb and understand information quickly is highly relevant to a lot of metrics of ability.

I’m the same as far as speed and tests but I also recognize that it really isn’t a major factor in most real life scenarios, including most legal jobs. I think it is not excused for assessments where speed is an essential part of the test — things like fire fighting, some medical skills, culinary classes, etc. Even for people who write on a deadline, timed exercises are not really reflective of the demands — you can generally just work later into the evening if you need more time since none of us are hourly employees. And for many people, they don’t need the extra time so long as they don’t have the anxiety of the ticking time clock pressure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC was a Head TA at top 10 university and he was in charge of grading exams, papers etc.

He said about 25-30% get caught cheating and that about the same % asks for special "accommodations" based on ADH/ADHD etc. every single time there is a test, paper etc.

He thinks most of those seeking untimed test, extra time etc. were fake.

Well, I have taught at an Ivy and a SLAC and this was not my experience at all, not even close. The percentage granted accommodations was much smaller and the students who were allowed extra time rarely took it.

If the numbers have not made clear to you, there is a wide discrepancy between schools; there is also a wide discrepancy in subjects. Might I also suggest that your tests were not the kind that those who had accommodations felt they needed to take in order to do well? The fact that they did not take the extra time says it all: word gets around.

[Anonymous]

[list]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC was a Head TA at top 10 university and he was in charge of grading exams, papers etc.

He said about 25-30% get caught cheating and that about the same % asks for special "accommodations" based on ADH/ADHD etc. every single time there is a test, paper etc.

He thinks most of those seeking untimed test, extra time etc. were fake.

I just want to know what is going on at Stanford. 38% is 20% more than most schools, and it is not a science (or even a California) thing, given MIT and CIT are so low…

I bet it has to do with housing options at Stanford or something like that. Or maybe the affirmatively encourage kids to register so everyone registers everything even if they don’t really need an accommodation. Basically everyone in the country has some disability. I have asthma, allergies, myopia and adhd — all disabilities although I don’t require accommodations for any of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard that even in law schools students are getting exemptions from timed finals.

It kind of blows my mind that in 2 decades we have basically thrown out measuring processing speed as a type of academic skill relevant to assessment. I guess I am biased since speed and tests are my strong point, but I do think that the capacity to absorb and understand information quickly is highly relevant to a lot of metrics of ability.

I’m the same as far as speed and tests but I also recognize that it really isn’t a major factor in most real life scenarios, including most legal jobs. I think it is not excused for assessments where speed is an essential part of the test — things like fire fighting, some medical skills, culinary classes, etc. Even for people who write on a deadline, timed exercises are not really reflective of the demands — you can generally just work later into the evening if you need more time since none of us are hourly employees. And for many people, they don’t need the extra time so long as they don’t have the anxiety of the ticking time clock pressure.

It absolutely is a factor in most legal jobs. Why do you think it is the kids with high LSATs and grades (under the old system) that end up eg Solicitor General? It’s not the only factor, but if you don’t have a basic level of intellectual speed, you cannot keep up at elite levels.

[Anonymous]

Eh, my kid is officially disabled (T1d) and gets accommodations so she can monitor and manage blood sugar, and none of y’all would know it by looking at her. So I’m not going to presume anything about anyone.

This kind of handwringing about things we don’t (and can’t) know feels like a real waste of psychic energy to me.

[Anonymous]

My kid with ADHD and hearing impairment was in that statistic. He took advantage of the accommodations when warranted. The large lecture halls were challenging for him from a hearing standpoint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Got to trust W&L SAT averages more than almost any other selective school: 3% only https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Washington+and+Lee&s=all&id=234207#general

Since W&L is full of rich kid's, this cuts against the story that UMc and wealthy parents are seeking additional time accommodations to game the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. The “disabilities” accommodation system is being fully gamed by UMC parents to squeeze out whatever additional advantage they can get for their kid. Meanwhile those of us with kids with actual disabilities see that they are still stigmatized because they aren’t the right type of disability. And here I am wanting my kid to take tests with no extended time (because I think he can, and I want him to learn to focus under pressure) but realizing that this puts him at too much of a disadvantage since all the kids with “ADHD”
get double time. But what really rankles is the parents who claim their kids are so disabled for certain purposes (ie when there is an advantage) but then either a) make arguments for excluding my kid or b) their kid becomes suddenly neurotypical when the label would be a detriment.

- we personally know at least half a dozen kids who’s parents “arranged” for extra time on tests, including the SAT, by gaming the system and “doctor shopping” until they found someone willing to diagnose something wrong with the kid, for extra time.

Many doctors need to pay off student loans I guess.

Abuse of the ADA is rampant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. The “disabilities” accommodation system is being fully gamed by UMC parents to squeeze out whatever additional advantage they can get for their kid. Meanwhile those of us with kids with actual disabilities see that they are still stigmatized because they aren’t the right type of disability. And here I am wanting my kid to take tests with no extended time (because I think he can, and I want him to learn to focus under pressure) but realizing that this puts him at too much of a disadvantage since all the kids with “ADHD”
get double time. But what really rankles is the parents who claim their kids are so disabled for certain purposes (ie when there is an advantage) but then either a) make arguments for excluding my kid or b) their kid becomes suddenly neurotypical when the label would be a detriment.

- we personally know at least half a dozen kids who’s parents “arranged” for extra time on tests, including the SAT, by gaming the system and “doctor shopping” until they found someone willing to diagnose something wrong with the kid, for extra time.

Many doctors need to pay off student loans I guess.

Abuse of the ADA is rampant.

I don’t know anyone personally who has games the system, but I’ve read about it on DCUM. Does that mean it is mostly a 1% issue? Maybe since neuropsych reports aren’t covered by insurance and are very expensive. If you hop over to the special needs forum you will see that there are a lot of parents, even in the DMV, who have kids with a lot of special needs and aren’t able to get their kids all the help they need because of money concerns.

Every single system can be abused, but please don’t forget that there are a lot of kids out there with genuine disabilities whose lives could be a lot easier with just a little help. (Some of the attitudes on display on this thread are why a lot of people with disabilities fear discrimination.)

- adult who you would never guess has an invisible, but very real and verifiable, chronic pain disability

[Anonymous]

It's those ADHD and AU diagnoses from grade school,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's those ADHD and AU diagnoses from grade school,

No college will give accomondations based solely on a grade school diagnosis. All require a recent (usually within 3 years of entering college) evaluation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard that even in law schools students are getting exemptions from timed finals.

It kind of blows my mind that in 2 decades we have basically thrown out measuring processing speed as a type of academic skill relevant to assessment. I guess I am biased since speed and tests are my strong point, but I do think that the capacity to absorb and understand information quickly is highly relevant to a lot of metrics of ability.

I’m the same as far as speed and tests but I also recognize that it really isn’t a major factor in most real life scenarios, including most legal jobs. I think it is not excused for assessments where speed is an essential part of the test — things like fire fighting, some medical skills, culinary classes, etc. Even for people who write on a deadline, timed exercises are not really reflective of the demands — you can generally just work later into the evening if you need more time since none of us are hourly employees. And for many people, they don’t need the extra time so long as they don’t have the anxiety of the ticking time clock pressure.

It absolutely is a factor in most legal jobs. Why do you think it is the kids with high LSATs and grades (under the old system) that end up eg Solicitor General? It’s not the only factor, but if you don’t have a basic level of intellectual speed, you cannot keep up at elite levels.

I’m the PP you’re responding to. I went to the top ranked law school (at the time), clerked for a federal appellate court, and have worked at a firm for over 20 years. I stand by my statement. There are very few legal jobs that require you to issue spot and write a brief on a 2 hour time frame. Analysis, judgement, the ability to think critically and write well are much more important than speed to almost all legal jobs. Speed can be important for certain on your feet work, but most lawyers don’t do a lot of that and that’s also a totally different type of speed than doing an issue spotter test on a 2 hour time frame. Even when I was in law school, most exams were take home tests of between 10 and 48 hours duration because the professors wanted quality, not what you could vomit onto a paper in 120 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. The “disabilities” accommodation system is being fully gamed by UMC parents to squeeze out whatever additional advantage they can get for their kid. Meanwhile those of us with kids with actual disabilities see that they are still stigmatized because they aren’t the right type of disability. And here I am wanting my kid to take tests with no extended time (because I think he can, and I want him to learn to focus under pressure) but realizing that this puts him at too much of a disadvantage since all the kids with “ADHD”
get double time. But what really rankles is the parents who claim their kids are so disabled for certain purposes (ie when there is an advantage) but then either a) make arguments for excluding my kid or b) their kid becomes suddenly neurotypical when the label would be a detriment.

- we personally know at least half a dozen kids who’s parents “arranged” for extra time on tests, including the SAT, by gaming the system and “doctor shopping” until they found someone willing to diagnose something wrong with the kid, for extra time.

Many doctors need to pay off student loans I guess.

Abuse of the ADA is rampant.

I know about a dozen kids with fake Dxs.