Wall Street Journal on rampant growth in percentage of college students with “disabilities”

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:@657. It’s on the college forum, because parents are facing a tough college entrance environment. And it’s scary. So they are latching onto— but my kid could get into a top ten school if their spot wasn’t taken by an ADHD kid who cheated on the SAT. Which is crazy. These schools have 6% admit rates. If your kid does not have a significant hook or is is very lucky in their profile, they are not getting in. Neither is the ADHD kid. And no amount of extra time is going to give your kid the 1560 on the SAT they would need to even have their essay read. It is not a test you can do perfectly, even with u limited time. You have to be very fluent in the material. If you don’t know the vocal work or get the math problem, more time does not help.

That's not what this conversation is about, actually. It's precisely the fact that these schools are SO selective that makes it incredibly hard to believe that suddenly 1/4 of the students have disabling conditions necessitating academic accommodations. That makes a mockery out of actual disabilities.

As a side note, I do think it's untenable to offer accommodations like extra time and calculators to some kids, and not to other kids.

Kids can be 2e (aka twice exceptional) — i.e. gifted and dealing with an LD. Wouldn’t surprise me if (a) 2e kids often have interesting and thoughtful stories to tell (b) 2e kids may themselves prefer (and/or have parents who strongly prefer) learning environments that are smaller scale and where teachers routinely engage with and get to know most of their students (c) parents and 2e kids, especially those who are attending college far from home, want a school that has experience, resources, and a good reputation for dealing with LDs. Also, Pomona has a class size of about 420 kids. And it’s an expensive school with predominantly affluent students. So, yeah, it doesn’t blow my mind that 22% of the students who enroll there have a documented LD. It might well be the most LD-friendly elite college in the US.

No. 20% of Pomona admits have not suddenly become 2e.

Correct, most have no doubt been 2e all along. But suddenly (or perhaps gradually) Pomona looked like a simultaneously elite and supportive environment.

No, you're not "2e all along" if you manage to get through elementary, middle, and high school without an IEP. That's not how "2e" works. 2e does not mean "smart but quirky" or "smart but makes careless errors." It means - you have a disability that requires special education to access the curriculum. Perhaps you want to drastically downgrade the definition of disability - but at least be upfront about that. Nobody is 2e and gaining admission to Pomona without a history of significant supports already.

Oh bullshit. There are lots of 2e kids who fly under the radar because they are relatively high-performing and/or they may have an LD that impacts one aspect of their academic performance while they excel in some other discipline.

There are plenty of successful adults in my generation .. including doctors, lawyers, and engineers ... who've only received an ADHD or ASD diagnosis after their own children's diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@657. It’s on the college forum, because parents are facing a tough college entrance environment. And it’s scary. So they are latching onto— but my kid could get into a top ten school if their spot wasn’t taken by an ADHD kid who cheated on the SAT. Which is crazy. These schools have 6% admit rates. If your kid does not have a significant hook or is is very lucky in their profile, they are not getting in. Neither is the ADHD kid. And no amount of extra time is going to give your kid the 1560 on the SAT they would need to even have their essay read. It is not a test you can do perfectly, even with u limited time. You have to be very fluent in the material. If you don’t know the vocal work or get the math problem, more time does not help.

That's not what this conversation is about, actually. It's precisely the fact that these schools are SO selective that makes it incredibly hard to believe that suddenly 1/4 of the students have disabling conditions necessitating academic accommodations. That makes a mockery out of actual disabilities.

As a side note, I do think it's untenable to offer accommodations like extra time and calculators to some kids, and not to other kids.

Kids can be 2e (aka twice exceptional) — i.e. gifted and dealing with an LD. Wouldn’t surprise me if (a) 2e kids often have interesting and thoughtful stories to tell (b) 2e kids may themselves prefer (and/or have parents who strongly prefer) learning environments that are smaller scale and where teachers routinely engage with and get to know most of their students (c) parents and 2e kids, especially those who are attending college far from home, want a school that has experience, resources, and a good reputation for dealing with LDs. Also, Pomona has a class size of about 420 kids. And it’s an expensive school with predominantly affluent students. So, yeah, it doesn’t blow my mind that 22% of the students who enroll there have a documented LD. It might well be the most LD-friendly elite college in the US.

No. 20% of Pomona admits have not suddenly become 2e.

Correct, most have no doubt been 2e all along. But suddenly (or perhaps gradually) Pomona looked like a simultaneously elite and supportive environment.

No, you're not "2e all along" if you manage to get through elementary, middle, and high school without an IEP. That's not how "2e" works. 2e does not mean "smart but quirky" or "smart but makes careless errors." It means - you have a disability that requires special education to access the curriculum. Perhaps you want to drastically downgrade the definition of disability - but at least be upfront about that. Nobody is 2e and gaining admission to Pomona without a history of significant supports already.

Oh bullshit. There are lots of 2e kids who fly under the radar because they are relatively high-performing and/or they may have an LD that impacts one aspect of their academic performance while they excel in some other discipline.

That's my dyslexic sibling. Only graduated from HS because of some very understanding teachers, and graduated with a horrible GPA. But he's brilliant at math and got great offers to several elite universities because of it.

Back then, it was only the truly lucky who managed it. My sibling wasn't officially diagnosed until his child was, and he realized there was more to it than just him being a terrible reader. Fortunately he has a genuine mathematical talent that compensated and was recognized. There are many people with dyslexia who don't have a genius level skill in another area, and if their dyslexia weren't diagnosed and treated and they weren't given accommodations, they would look like the village idiot on paper. Fortunately we're at a place where we recognize disabilities, better and better each year. We offer support and accommodations. Obviously that really frustrates some people, no matter how often they're told that getting accommodations doesn't make having a learning disability like dyslexia worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@657. It’s on the college forum, because parents are facing a tough college entrance environment. And it’s scary. So they are latching onto— but my kid could get into a top ten school if their spot wasn’t taken by an ADHD kid who cheated on the SAT. Which is crazy. These schools have 6% admit rates. If your kid does not have a significant hook or is is very lucky in their profile, they are not getting in. Neither is the ADHD kid. And no amount of extra time is going to give your kid the 1560 on the SAT they would need to even have their essay read. It is not a test you can do perfectly, even with u limited time. You have to be very fluent in the material. If you don’t know the vocal work or get the math problem, more time does not help.

That's not what this conversation is about, actually. It's precisely the fact that these schools are SO selective that makes it incredibly hard to believe that suddenly 1/4 of the students have disabling conditions necessitating academic accommodations. That makes a mockery out of actual disabilities.

As a side note, I do think it's untenable to offer accommodations like extra time and calculators to some kids, and not to other kids.

Kids can be 2e (aka twice exceptional) — i.e. gifted and dealing with an LD. Wouldn’t surprise me if (a) 2e kids often have interesting and thoughtful stories to tell (b) 2e kids may themselves prefer (and/or have parents who strongly prefer) learning environments that are smaller scale and where teachers routinely engage with and get to know most of their students (c) parents and 2e kids, especially those who are attending college far from home, want a school that has experience, resources, and a good reputation for dealing with LDs. Also, Pomona has a class size of about 420 kids. And it’s an expensive school with predominantly affluent students. So, yeah, it doesn’t blow my mind that 22% of the students who enroll there have a documented LD. It might well be the most LD-friendly elite college in the US.

No. 20% of Pomona admits have not suddenly become 2e.

Correct, most have no doubt been 2e all along. But suddenly (or perhaps gradually) Pomona looked like a simultaneously elite and supportive environment.

No, you're not "2e all along" if you manage to get through elementary, middle, and high school without an IEP. That's not how "2e" works. 2e does not mean "smart but quirky" or "smart but makes careless errors." It means - you have a disability that requires special education to access the curriculum. Perhaps you want to drastically downgrade the definition of disability - but at least be upfront about that. Nobody is 2e and gaining admission to Pomona without a history of significant supports already.

Oh bullshit. There are lots of 2e kids who fly under the radar because they are relatively high-performing and/or they may have an LD that impacts one aspect of their academic performance while they excel in some other discipline.

THOSE KIDS ARE NOT DISABLED. Period. If your "disability" does not stop you from being "high performing" without accommodations, you are not disabled. These kids are not disabled, and then suddenly they are when they enroll in Pomona, or their fancy private high school? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP

I have a problem with the fact that a family helped a struggling kid because they were wealthy and had the means to do so. Not every kid is afforded that help. It tips the scales to the side of socioeconomic class. As most things tend to do. I just don't think it's right.

Not right to be wealthy? Alrighty then.

Not right to only get accomodations if you are wealthy enough to have them diagnosed.

CNMC and KKI will perform the same diagnostic tests as a private practice and they take insurance. The only difference is the amount of time it takes since they're typically scheduling 10 months out and private practice can get you in in 6 weeks or so. Schools are also required to performing testing upon referral. While not medically diagnostic, their testing is supposed to identify whether the student is able to access the curriculum or if they need services or accommodations.

It seems your beef is that those with more money have more resources to address their children's disabilities. They don't have to settle for the crumbs given in public school, but can instead pay to receive a full and effective level of intervention. Are you saying that parents should not be able to pay to give their kids the support they need? Does that include all the other enrichment activities rich people fund for their kids?

No. We're saying that its unfair that fake disabilities get accommodations that allow them to advance their privileges even further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@657. It’s on the college forum, because parents are facing a tough college entrance environment. And it’s scary. So they are latching onto— but my kid could get into a top ten school if their spot wasn’t taken by an ADHD kid who cheated on the SAT. Which is crazy. These schools have 6% admit rates. If your kid does not have a significant hook or is is very lucky in their profile, they are not getting in. Neither is the ADHD kid. And no amount of extra time is going to give your kid the 1560 on the SAT they would need to even have their essay read. It is not a test you can do perfectly, even with u limited time. You have to be very fluent in the material. If you don’t know the vocal work or get the math problem, more time does not help.

That's not what this conversation is about, actually. It's precisely the fact that these schools are SO selective that makes it incredibly hard to believe that suddenly 1/4 of the students have disabling conditions necessitating academic accommodations. That makes a mockery out of actual disabilities.

As a side note, I do think it's untenable to offer accommodations like extra time and calculators to some kids, and not to other kids.

Kids can be 2e (aka twice exceptional) — i.e. gifted and dealing with an LD. Wouldn’t surprise me if (a) 2e kids often have interesting and thoughtful stories to tell (b) 2e kids may themselves prefer (and/or have parents who strongly prefer) learning environments that are smaller scale and where teachers routinely engage with and get to know most of their students (c) parents and 2e kids, especially those who are attending college far from home, want a school that has experience, resources, and a good reputation for dealing with LDs. Also, Pomona has a class size of about 420 kids. And it’s an expensive school with predominantly affluent students. So, yeah, it doesn’t blow my mind that 22% of the students who enroll there have a documented LD. It might well be the most LD-friendly elite college in the US.

No. 20% of Pomona admits have not suddenly become 2e.

Correct, most have no doubt been 2e all along. But suddenly (or perhaps gradually) Pomona looked like a simultaneously elite and supportive environment.

No, you're not "2e all along" if you manage to get through elementary, middle, and high school without an IEP. That's not how "2e" works. 2e does not mean "smart but quirky" or "smart but makes careless errors." It means - you have a disability that requires special education to access the curriculum. Perhaps you want to drastically downgrade the definition of disability - but at least be upfront about that. Nobody is 2e and gaining admission to Pomona without a history of significant supports already.

Oh bullshit. There are lots of 2e kids who fly under the radar because they are relatively high-performing and/or they may have an LD that impacts one aspect of their academic performance while they excel in some other discipline.

That's my dyslexic sibling. Only graduated from HS because of some very understanding teachers, and graduated with a horrible GPA. But he's brilliant at math and got great offers to several elite universities because of it.

Back then, it was only the truly lucky who managed it. My sibling wasn't officially diagnosed until his child was, and he realized there was more to it than just him being a terrible reader. Fortunately he has a genuine mathematical talent that compensated and was recognized. There are many people with dyslexia who don't have a genius level skill in another area, and if their dyslexia weren't diagnosed and treated and they weren't given accommodations, they would look like the village idiot on paper. Fortunately we're at a place where we recognize disabilities, better and better each year. We offer support and accommodations. Obviously that really frustrates some people, no matter how often they're told that getting accommodations doesn't make having a learning disability like dyslexia worth it.

That's great, but that does not describe 20-30% of kids enrolled at elite DC privates.

[Anonymous]

Gee, who knew that private schools were so accommodating to true disabilities in the DC area? I guess I will submit my application for my DS with the developmental disability IEP, and all his paperwork, and expect him to be admitted without reservations.

Yeah, right ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@657. It’s on the college forum, because parents are facing a tough college entrance environment. And it’s scary. So they are latching onto— but my kid could get into a top ten school if their spot wasn’t taken by an ADHD kid who cheated on the SAT. Which is crazy. These schools have 6% admit rates. If your kid does not have a significant hook or is is very lucky in their profile, they are not getting in. Neither is the ADHD kid. And no amount of extra time is going to give your kid the 1560 on the SAT they would need to even have their essay read. It is not a test you can do perfectly, even with u limited time. You have to be very fluent in the material. If you don’t know the vocal work or get the math problem, more time does not help.

That's not what this conversation is about, actually. It's precisely the fact that these schools are SO selective that makes it incredibly hard to believe that suddenly 1/4 of the students have disabling conditions necessitating academic accommodations. That makes a mockery out of actual disabilities.

As a side note, I do think it's untenable to offer accommodations like extra time and calculators to some kids, and not to other kids.

Kids can be 2e (aka twice exceptional) — i.e. gifted and dealing with an LD. Wouldn’t surprise me if (a) 2e kids often have interesting and thoughtful stories to tell (b) 2e kids may themselves prefer (and/or have parents who strongly prefer) learning environments that are smaller scale and where teachers routinely engage with and get to know most of their students (c) parents and 2e kids, especially those who are attending college far from home, want a school that has experience, resources, and a good reputation for dealing with LDs. Also, Pomona has a class size of about 420 kids. And it’s an expensive school with predominantly affluent students. So, yeah, it doesn’t blow my mind that 22% of the students who enroll there have a documented LD. It might well be the most LD-friendly elite college in the US.

No. 20% of Pomona admits have not suddenly become 2e.

Correct, most have no doubt been 2e all along. But suddenly (or perhaps gradually) Pomona looked like a simultaneously elite and supportive environment.

No, you're not "2e all along" if you manage to get through elementary, middle, and high school without an IEP. That's not how "2e" works. 2e does not mean "smart but quirky" or "smart but makes careless errors." It means - you have a disability that requires special education to access the curriculum. Perhaps you want to drastically downgrade the definition of disability - but at least be upfront about that. Nobody is 2e and gaining admission to Pomona without a history of significant supports already.

Oh bullshit. There are lots of 2e kids who fly under the radar because they are relatively high-performing and/or they may have an LD that impacts one aspect of their academic performance while they excel in some other discipline.

That's my dyslexic sibling. Only graduated from HS because of some very understanding teachers, and graduated with a horrible GPA. But he's brilliant at math and got great offers to several elite universities because of it.

Back then, it was only the truly lucky who managed it. My sibling wasn't officially diagnosed until his child was, and he realized there was more to it than just him being a terrible reader. Fortunately he has a genuine mathematical talent that compensated and was recognized. There are many people with dyslexia who don't have a genius level skill in another area, and if their dyslexia weren't diagnosed and treated and they weren't given accommodations, they would look like the village idiot on paper. Fortunately we're at a place where we recognize disabilities, better and better each year. We offer support and accommodations. Obviously that really frustrates some people, no matter how often they're told that getting accommodations doesn't make having a learning disability like dyslexia worth it.

That's great, but that does not describe 20-30% of kids enrolled at elite DC privates.

20-30% sounds about right at our private school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@657. It’s on the college forum, because parents are facing a tough college entrance environment. And it’s scary. So they are latching onto— but my kid could get into a top ten school if their spot wasn’t taken by an ADHD kid who cheated on the SAT. Which is crazy. These schools have 6% admit rates. If your kid does not have a significant hook or is is very lucky in their profile, they are not getting in. Neither is the ADHD kid. And no amount of extra time is going to give your kid the 1560 on the SAT they would need to even have their essay read. It is not a test you can do perfectly, even with u limited time. You have to be very fluent in the material. If you don’t know the vocal work or get the math problem, more time does not help.

That's not what this conversation is about, actually. It's precisely the fact that these schools are SO selective that makes it incredibly hard to believe that suddenly 1/4 of the students have disabling conditions necessitating academic accommodations. That makes a mockery out of actual disabilities.

As a side note, I do think it's untenable to offer accommodations like extra time and calculators to some kids, and not to other kids.

Kids can be 2e (aka twice exceptional) — i.e. gifted and dealing with an LD. Wouldn’t surprise me if (a) 2e kids often have interesting and thoughtful stories to tell (b) 2e kids may themselves prefer (and/or have parents who strongly prefer) learning environments that are smaller scale and where teachers routinely engage with and get to know most of their students (c) parents and 2e kids, especially those who are attending college far from home, want a school that has experience, resources, and a good reputation for dealing with LDs. Also, Pomona has a class size of about 420 kids. And it’s an expensive school with predominantly affluent students. So, yeah, it doesn’t blow my mind that 22% of the students who enroll there have a documented LD. It might well be the most LD-friendly elite college in the US.

No. 20% of Pomona admits have not suddenly become 2e.

Correct, most have no doubt been 2e all along. But suddenly (or perhaps gradually) Pomona looked like a simultaneously elite and supportive environment.

No, you're not "2e all along" if you manage to get through elementary, middle, and high school without an IEP. That's not how "2e" works. 2e does not mean "smart but quirky" or "smart but makes careless errors." It means - you have a disability that requires special education to access the curriculum. Perhaps you want to drastically downgrade the definition of disability - but at least be upfront about that. Nobody is 2e and gaining admission to Pomona without a history of significant supports already.

Oh bullshit. There are lots of 2e kids who fly under the radar because they are relatively high-performing and/or they may have an LD that impacts one aspect of their academic performance while they excel in some other discipline.

That's my dyslexic sibling. Only graduated from HS because of some very understanding teachers, and graduated with a horrible GPA. But he's brilliant at math and got great offers to several elite universities because of it.

Back then, it was only the truly lucky who managed it. My sibling wasn't officially diagnosed until his child was, and he realized there was more to it than just him being a terrible reader. Fortunately he has a genuine mathematical talent that compensated and was recognized. There are many people with dyslexia who don't have a genius level skill in another area, and if their dyslexia weren't diagnosed and treated and they weren't given accommodations, they would look like the village idiot on paper. Fortunately we're at a place where we recognize disabilities, better and better each year. We offer support and accommodations. Obviously that really frustrates some people, no matter how often they're told that getting accommodations doesn't make having a learning disability like dyslexia worth it.

That's great, but that does not describe 20-30% of kids enrolled at elite DC privates.

20-30% sounds about right at our private school

20-30% of kids at your elite DC private school are geniuses with severe dyslexia? Ok ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thankfully DS was diagnosed with ASD when he was 8 (and on his 4th school!) so that none of these moms will think we’re gaming the system :-/

What a horrid thing to say.

You need to turn on your sarcasm meter.

I don't think she was being sarcastic. There was a private school mom a few pages back who thinks that only her own child's disability is legitimate because, as far as I can tell, her fancy private school worked to give her child accommodation early in life. Let them eat cake, I suppose.

And sometimes the fancy private schools actually ask you to leave.

Because you have ASD.

And they cannot accommodate you.


Walk a mile in someone's shoes let them eat cake pp.

Oh, I am on your side. I think the private school mom poster who thinks only her kid's accommodations are legitimate because she was able to use her access to a private school to get them earlier than poorer public school kids is awful. She's the one with the 'let them eat cake' attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP

I have a problem with the fact that a family helped a struggling kid because they were wealthy and had the means to do so. Not every kid is afforded that help. It tips the scales to the side of socioeconomic class. As most things tend to do. I just don't think it's right.

Not right to be wealthy? Alrighty then.

Not right to only get accomodations if you are wealthy enough to have them diagnosed.

CNMC and KKI will perform the same diagnostic tests as a private practice and they take insurance. The only difference is the amount of time it takes since they're typically scheduling 10 months out and private practice can get you in in 6 weeks or so. Schools are also required to performing testing upon referral. While not medically diagnostic, their testing is supposed to identify whether the student is able to access the curriculum or if they need services or accommodations.

It seems your beef is that those with more money have more resources to address their children's disabilities. They don't have to settle for the crumbs given in public school, but can instead pay to receive a full and effective level of intervention. Are you saying that parents should not be able to pay to give their kids the support they need? Does that include all the other enrichment activities rich people fund for their kids?

It sure does. Elitism at its best.

[Anonymous]

The people who don't think that some students are gaming the system are probably the same people who think all the emotional support animals are legitimate too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gee, who knew that private schools were so accommodating to true disabilities in the DC area? I guess I will submit my application for my DS with the developmental disability IEP, and all his paperwork, and expect him to be admitted without reservations.

Yeah, right ...

If you are really wealthy, then yes they will take u. If not, tough luck. We are at a very top private - kids are “diagnosed”after but before the psat/sat/act.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thankfully DS was diagnosed with ASD when he was 8 (and on his 4th school!) so that none of these moms will think we’re gaming the system :-/

What a horrid thing to say.

You need to turn on your sarcasm meter.

I don't think she was being sarcastic. There was a private school mom a few pages back who thinks that only her own child's disability is legitimate because, as far as I can tell, her fancy private school worked to give her child accommodation early in life. Let them eat cake, I suppose.

I know a private mom who has done the same. For academics and sport. And held her kid back a year in HS. He told my DS how his mom made sure he had extra time on SAT, and got him diagnosed with ADHD. Basically, what's wrong with us for not getting DS extra time, everyone does it. Very, very academic private in DC.

The private parent I know is quite high up in a medical facility. Got DC accomodations to get into top private HS after scores, though high, wasn’t high enough for the private HS they wanted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@657. It’s on the college forum, because parents are facing a tough college entrance environment. And it’s scary. So they are latching onto— but my kid could get into a top ten school if their spot wasn’t taken by an ADHD kid who cheated on the SAT. Which is crazy. These schools have 6% admit rates. If your kid does not have a significant hook or is is very lucky in their profile, they are not getting in. Neither is the ADHD kid. And no amount of extra time is going to give your kid the 1560 on the SAT they would need to even have their essay read. It is not a test you can do perfectly, even with u limited time. You have to be very fluent in the material. If you don’t know the vocal work or get the math problem, more time does not help.

It is also scholarships and merit awards. Kids who know the materials but do not get extended time or a calculator are the ones who are disadvantaged by those who gamed the system. I am not referring to kids w true disabilities but the wealthy parents who have connections and can get and pay for a diagnosis. Those of you who don’t believe this obviously is not in the prep school environment where there are a lot of wealthy parents and accomodations.

It's true that private schools have a much larger percentage of kids on accommodations. And I think there's some truth to the wealthy=accommodations. But one factor contributing to the prevalence of accommodations at private HS may be the fact that private schools are better and more responsive to kids with learning disabilities so parents specifically choose private over publice for their kids with learning disabilities. My dc is in a public HS and has accommodations. Private HS would be possible but really hard for us financially. But everyday, I wish we had moved him to private. Public HS is sink or swim. My son has accommodations but there are some classes he just refuses to use it in because the teacher is so hostile to it. Yes by law, they need to give him extended time. And I guess they would if dc pushed for it, but he's a kid and when you have a teacher who so clearly doesn't want to deal with it, he's not going to push for it. I see my friends with kids in private and see the responsiveness, willingness & feedback they get from teachers. You just don't get that at a public HS. I'm not blaming the public school teachers. They may be as every bit good but they just have too many students. If I could do it all over again, I would have sent this one dc to private HS. My other kids were totally fine in public.

Why would you think that? DC area privates are not exactly jumping out of their seats to admit kids with diagnoses and the need for additional support. Just read these forums when people ask for ideas for private schools their kids with HFA or ADHD. What the private schools have is very rich and connected kids whose parents can wrangle "accommodations" when it suits them.

Depends on the kids and the school. IIRC, about 30% of the kids in HS at GDS had some kind of accommodation. And there are learning specialists on staff for all grade levels. Don’t know how many families declared known LDs prior to admission.

Listen to my works. 30% of GDS HS students would NOT qualify for an IEP under IDEA. They have "accommodation" that mommy and daddy purchased for them.

So? Just because a kid doesn’t qualify for an IEP doesn’t mean he is not entitled to accommodations. IEP is extremely difficult to get and maintain. My DS had a 504 (which is not an IEP) for many years in public school before moving to private. The college board saw that he had a history of using accommodations and he was granted extended time. We are wealthy, but hardly gaming the system. We were just fortunate enough to have teachers who quickly identified problems at a very young age. He is the one with adhd, lowish processing speed but high working memory. Consequently, he does really well in school and on tests. Just needs the time to demonstrate that ability. That extra time makes a significant impact in his scores. We are quite pleased with how it all worked out for him.

Arg I am sorry I just get so frustrated with these types of posts.

These are curved, competitive tests.
Literally every human on earth has some sort of cognitive limitation -- some area in which they are not quite as advanced as they could be.
Virtually all human beings on earth would benefit from extra time on timed tests to demonstrate their ability.
That is precisely why they are timed.

It is like stating that your kid is a great runner he just has trouble with hurdles, so all the hurdles should be removed. Then when his hurdles are all removed but all the other kids are still jumping over hurdles, he will appear to be a faster runner than them. He is not. They are just still jumping over hurdles that have been removed for your snowflake.

We may as well just make the tests untimed for everyone. Then at least we can compare apples to apples.

Ultimately this is of limited benefit except as a means for wealthy people to game the system, which they will ALWAYS do but even moreso when quantitive, objective criteria are purposefully watered down and distorted.

At the end of the day life is an IQ test so good luck getting extra time at your job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:@657. It’s on the college forum, because parents are facing a tough college entrance environment. And it’s scary. So they are latching onto— but my kid could get into a top ten school if their spot wasn’t taken by an ADHD kid who cheated on the SAT. Which is crazy. These schools have 6% admit rates. If your kid does not have a significant hook or is is very lucky in their profile, they are not getting in. Neither is the ADHD kid. And no amount of extra time is going to give your kid the 1560 on the SAT they would need to even have their essay read. It is not a test you can do perfectly, even with u limited time. You have to be very fluent in the material. If you don’t know the vocal work or get the math problem, more time does not help.

It is also scholarships and merit awards. Kids who know the materials but do not get extended time or a calculator are the ones who are disadvantaged by those who gamed the system. I am not referring to kids w true disabilities but the wealthy parents who have connections and can get and pay for a diagnosis. Those of you who don’t believe this obviously is not in the prep school environment where there are a lot of wealthy parents and accomodations.

It's true that private schools have a much larger percentage of kids on accommodations. And I think there's some truth to the wealthy=accommodations. But one factor contributing to the prevalence of accommodations at private HS may be the fact that private schools are better and more responsive to kids with learning disabilities so parents specifically choose private over publice for their kids with learning disabilities. My dc is in a public HS and has accommodations. Private HS would be possible but really hard for us financially. But everyday, I wish we had moved him to private. Public HS is sink or swim. My son has accommodations but there are some classes he just refuses to use it in because the teacher is so hostile to it. Yes by law, they need to give him extended time. And I guess they would if dc pushed for it, but he's a kid and when you have a teacher who so clearly doesn't want to deal with it, he's not going to push for it. I see my friends with kids in private and see the responsiveness, willingness & feedback they get from teachers. You just don't get that at a public HS. I'm not blaming the public school teachers. They may be as every bit good but they just have too many students. If I could do it all over again, I would have sent this one dc to private HS. My other kids were totally fine in public.

Why would you think that? DC area privates are not exactly jumping out of their seats to admit kids with diagnoses and the need for additional support. Just read these forums when people ask for ideas for private schools their kids with HFA or ADHD. What the private schools have is very rich and connected kids whose parents can wrangle "accommodations" when it suits them.

Bingo! “Wrangle” is the right word to describe what is happening in prep schools where parents especially the wealthy ones know how the system works. And the school goes along for the $$$ donation.