What exactly do I need from doctor to get accommodations for ACT test?

[Anonymous]

DS has been on ADHD medication for over 4 years. We avoided accommodations at school because it would be embarrassing for him & the Jesuit school acted very weird about it. He reads slowly and his score improves a couple points on timed exams with the 50% extra time. This week he has to submit forms directly to ACT but I'm sort of uncertain what exactly they need.

Is he screwed because we don't have history of accepting accommodations at school? He's targeting a certain score to earn a low-level scholarship at a public college.

[Anonymous]

The ACT process is set up to provide accommodations to students who need them to succeed all
the time -- not just when applying to college.

Your question has me confused as we are going through it now too.

Student is supposed to register for an ACT test date. If they need accommodations they indicate it when signing up.

Then they inform their school and the school provides information about the accommodations used in school with documentation of the disability.

I think there is an alternative process for home schoolers. But not aware of one where the student provides accommodation documentation.

[Anonymous]

Adding - once ACT gets the documentation from school they review. Then in a few weeks your student will find out whether or not they qualify for extended time or whatever they are requesting.

[Anonymous]

Read this page and the .pdf about the process. http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration/accommodations.html

[Anonymous]

You can do it on your own,or you can have the school do it, but it is really rare that a kid gets accommodations for ACT or CB without having an IEP or 504. You need a letter from the dr stating why he needs the accommodations. I was an SSD for a school and can tell you that they will deny you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can do it on your own,or you can have the school do it, but it is really rare that a kid gets accommodations for ACT or CB without having an IEP or 504. You need a letter from the dr stating why he needs the accommodations. I was an SSD for a school and can tell you that they will deny you.

I know many parents with their seemingly normal kids on Adderall getting 50% extra time.

[Anonymous]

Our school did the legwork for us. But they needed the neuropsych testing, done in the last three years, and a least one teacher to sign a paper saying he was using his accommodations in school. Once the school submitted to the CB, we got an approval within a few days. Which is good for the next 3 years, since my kid is a sophomore.

Unfortunately, good public schools are probably better than privates on facilitating the process. They know what to do, and help you, because it is in their interest to have kids posting high PSAT! SAT and AP scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can do it on your own,or you can have the school do it, but it is really rare that a kid gets accommodations for ACT or CB without having an IEP or 504. You need a letter from the dr stating why he needs the accommodations. I was an SSD for a school and can tell you that they will deny you.

I know many parents with their seemingly normal kids on Adderall getting 50% extra time.

The question isn't weather or not a kid on Adderall can get extra time, it is if they can get extra time on the ACT if they DON'T get extra time at school. Idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can do it on your own,or you can have the school do it, but it is really rare that a kid gets accommodations for ACT or CB without having an IEP or 504. You need a letter from the dr stating why he needs the accommodations. I was an SSD for a school and can tell you that they will deny you.

I know many parents with their seemingly normal kids on Adderall getting 50% extra time.

My "seemingly normal" kid on Adderall AT TJ gets 50% extra time. But what you don't know when you judge him, or kids like him, is that his GAI is more than 3 SDs above his PSI on an IQ test. And he is in the first percentile in auditory processing. Using accommodations in math (which is where he needs them most), he is a solid B student. Without them, he literally cannot pass the class. And he obviously needs accommodations in things like the listening portion of foreign language.

You do your kid, I'll do mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can do it on your own,or you can have the school do it, but it is really rare that a kid gets accommodations for ACT or CB without having an IEP or 504. You need a letter from the dr stating why he needs the accommodations. I was an SSD for a school and can tell you that they will deny you.

I know many parents with their seemingly normal kids on Adderall getting 50% extra time.

The question isn't weather or not a kid on Adderall can get extra time, it is if they can get extra time on the ACT if they DON'T get extra time at school. Idiot.

Please, no need to name call. My child doesn't see those students using accommodations at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can do it on your own,or you can have the school do it, but it is really rare that a kid gets accommodations for ACT or CB without having an IEP or 504. You need a letter from the dr stating why he needs the accommodations. I was an SSD for a school and can tell you that they will deny you.

I know many parents with their seemingly normal kids on Adderall getting 50% extra time.

The question isn't weather or not a kid on Adderall can get extra time, it is if they can get extra time on the ACT if they DON'T get extra time at school. Idiot.

For the College Board, at least, guidance and at least one teacher has to certify that your kid regularly uses extra time on tests and quizzes. You also need a 504 (giving the right to the extra time), and educational testing that objectively shows why your kid needs it. Our school says you can't just get it for the CB-- it opens the system up to abuse. I have to believe the ACT is the same way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school did the legwork for us. But they needed the neuropsych testing, done in the last three years, and a least one teacher to sign a paper saying he was using his accommodations in school. Once the school submitted to the CB, we got an approval within a few days. Which is good for the next 3 years, since my kid is a sophomore.

Unfortunately, good public schools are probably better than privates on facilitating the process. They know what to do, and help you, because it is in their interest to have kids posting high PSAT! SAT and AP scores.

Does insurance cover a neuropsych test? What sort of doctor should we seek for that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can do it on your own,or you can have the school do it, but it is really rare that a kid gets accommodations for ACT or CB without having an IEP or 504. You need a letter from the dr stating why he needs the accommodations. I was an SSD for a school and can tell you that they will deny you.

I know many parents with their seemingly normal kids on Adderall getting 50% extra time.

The question isn't weather or not a kid on Adderall can get extra time, it is if they can get extra time on the ACT if they DON'T get extra time at school. Idiot.

Please, no need to name call. My child doesn't see those students using accommodations at school.

Okay. But your kid is not all knowing. My kid is embarrassed about needing extra time-- and anyway, if the test takes the whole class, there is not time to complete it with extra time. So my kid's teachers give him one or two pages of the test at a time. And he finished the last 1/3 of the test before school, after school, during 8th period (TJ), or during lunch.

You kid may not see them using accommodations, because the teachers are discrete to protect the kids privacy. But that does not mean they are not used. And, again, a teacher and the school must certify that they are used regularly, as part of the application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school did the legwork for us. But they needed the neuropsych testing, done in the last three years, and a least one teacher to sign a paper saying he was using his accommodations in school. Once the school submitted to the CB, we got an approval within a few days. Which is good for the next 3 years, since my kid is a sophomore.

Unfortunately, good public schools are probably better than privates on facilitating the process. They know what to do, and help you, because it is in their interest to have kids posting high PSAT! SAT and AP scores.

Does insurance cover a neuropsych test? What sort of doctor should we seek for that?

A psychologist. Stixrud is a big group around here. And insurance covers very little of the around $3000. Really, this is something you do if you see your child struggling in all aspects of their lives, not because you want a bump on college board tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school did the legwork for us. But they needed the neuropsych testing, done in the last three years, and a least one teacher to sign a paper saying he was using his accommodations in school. Once the school submitted to the CB, we got an approval within a few days. Which is good for the next 3 years, since my kid is a sophomore.

Unfortunately, good public schools are probably better than privates on facilitating the process. They know what to do, and help you, because it is in their interest to have kids posting high PSAT! SAT and AP scores.

Does insurance cover a neuropsych test? What sort of doctor should we seek for that?

In our case, it covered about 1/2. And we used an educational psychologist to test (it has to be a PhD). You can literally google educational psychologist. You can also go neuropsych route, but for ADHD, and some LDs, and educational psychologist is a good bet. We used Diana Dahlgren in Fairfax, and she is a mixed bag. Very competent, well respected,p and she writes a very thorough report that give you everything you need for an IEP or 504, plus testing accommodations. BUT! I have headed that she tends to see ADHD in every kid who walks through her door. She is not a warm, friendly person. And she takes forever to generate the reports. She also does a ton of AAP testing.

If you are also looking at autism or a similar condition, probably look at a neuropsych.