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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am wondering where is this place that a child with a disability has the field tilted for them. They have an uphill slog regardless of extra time or not. The extra time makes the hill a little bit less steep. [/quote]

I agree.

My kid's disability played role in what his teachers write in recommendations.  It played a role in what extracurriculars he could manage.  It played a role in what courses he could handle.  It played a role in the grades he got.  Many college doors will be closed for him because of those things.  His ACT score, taken with double time over multiple days, was a chance for him to show that yes, under ideal circumstances he is capable of grade level work.  But it's not like it somehow undid all the other ways that his disability impacts him.  He's not stealing anyone's spot because of an unfair score.  He's using it to add one more thing to the picture.  And since he'll use the same kinds of accommodations in college that he had on the test, such as spreading his coursework over 5 years and summers to allow him extra time for assignments, his ACT is an accurate predictor for how he'll do.[/quote]

And how's this going to play when he gets a job?  [/quote]

Exactly.  I've seen this happen and it's not pretty once they hit the real world.  [/quote]

I'm the poster that you're replying too.  I'm not really sure what people expect when they post this.  Yes, my kid's disabilities will undoubtedly limit the jobs he's able to do.  There will absolutely need to be problem solving, and there will be doors that will be closed.  That's the reality of having a disability.

But if he didn't get extended time on the ACT, that would be true too.  Extended time allows him access to college, a place that is designed to help kids develop skills they'll need in college.  I believed, based on his experiences in high school and what he showed me he could do, that he would benefit from college and would be able to be successful in the right place, with the right supports, and freshman year has reinforced that view. My hope is that, after graduation, he'll be more likely to be successful than he would have been without the college experience, but that doesn't mean that college will fix something.

People often suggest that giving kids supports or accommodations is what creates adults who need accommodations, but my kid would be an adult who needs accommodations either way.  Not accommodating him in high school wouldn't have mean he didn't need them.  It would just mean that he would get to adulthood with fewer skills, and with less understanding of what he needs, and less ability to take on the task of getting those supports.  [/quote]

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