Do most of the top schools provide all learning accommodations?

[Anonymous]

Or do they just provide a few, like 50% extended time and computer use?

[Anonymous]

They generally do not. They don't want to.
Which is why we are in public school.

[Anonymous]

Some don't even do that much.

Varies by school and by the type of diagnosis a student has.

[Anonymous]

Are you kidding? None of the top ones. You can take your meds at home if you have ADD or ADHD but that's it. There is a reason top privates are the insane pressure cookers they are.

[Anonymous]

Generally their position is they will provide some accommodations but not alter the curriculum in any way. My Sidwell kid had 50% extended time and use of a computer for responses. DC also worked with the learning specialist on organization, especially in middle school. But a dyslexic kid was on his own finding audio versions of reading assignments.

[Anonymous]

No really they do not. Unless you are at a specialist school like McLean in Bethesda or Lab School, you get a fairly limited curriculum as well as a restricted "way" of learning it.

Another who left private for public for a broader minded approach.

[Anonymous]

I agree that unless a school's 'set up' for extended time, then no.
Independent schools aren't going to 'care' for your child...they provide a curriculum that they teach, and frankly, it stops there. Unless you are fortunate to have a teacher who sticks his/her neck out to help your child.
It's kind of the cold hard fact about spending all that $$$...you can't expect the school to 'care' ... cold but true.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on your child's disability and the severity of it. The above has not been our experience at all. But then we aren't at a Big 3. We're at a small progressive K-8 and they've been wonderful about providing accommodations for DC. They don't provide any type of intervention but they do provide extra time, respond in test booklet and are flexible about assignments. DC came from MCPS where they really didn't do any better even with an IEP. In fact, MCPS was inept at providing appropriate intervention so we had to do it outside school and DC was stressed because his accommodations were not provided consistently. We are much happier now.

[Anonymous]

Typically, they provide none whatsoever. They are not required to. Many of them do not wish to.

[Anonymous]

Extended time is available at NCS - many girls take advantage of it by upper school. Tests are given to everyone in class and those with extended time accommodation complete them the following day.

[Anonymous]

How about extended time at St. Albans? Any one have experience with this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Extended time is available at NCS - many girls take advantage of it by upper school. Tests are given to everyone in class and those with extended time accommodation complete them the following day.

Wait. After they have seen the test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Extended time is available at NCS - many girls take advantage of it by upper school. Tests are given to everyone in class and those with extended time accommodation complete them the following day.

Wait. After they have seen the test?

Yes, welcome to the bullshit that is Extended Time for top academic students.

Remember: to get this at your Big 3 high school and then on the SAT, you need to lay the foundation a couple of years earlier. You can't just show up in the middle of 10th grade and ask to join the club of executive function disorders, when you realize how many people are realizing the advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about extended time at St. Albans? Any one have experience with this?

My son says no

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about extended time at St. Albans? Any one have experience with this?

My son says no

This is incorrect -- maybe the student doesn't have anyone in his particular classes who gets extra time. But yes, St. Albans most certainly allows extended time. Not sure about the lower school, but in the Upper School (high school), this has to be arranged through the school counselor and backed up by appropriate educational testing. It is not uncommon (although a relatively small number of students, I believe) and not seen as a big deal. The norm is 50% extended time. Some students can also use computers to take tests -- again, this is something that must be approved by the school counselor based upon testing recommendation.

Extra time and computer use are the two most common accommodations allowed by the College Board for standardized testing (e.g., PSAT, SAT), and every independent school in this area allows that accommodation.

As far as additional accommodations, you'd probably do best to inquire with specific schools. If it can be done without great difficulty I think many schools are more flexible than people might think.