Homeschooling, ADD, and college entrance exams (possible debate)

[yeartolate]

On another board there was a discussion about a homeschooled person with ADD getting a low score on her ACT, When her mother adminstered the test in a room with just the two of them, her score nearly doubled. They are fighting to get her the official ability to take the test alone or at home.


Wouldn't this really give that person unfair advantage? Wouldn't anyone fair better under those circumstances?

I have to admit I was floored when someone suggested that there were accomodations such as note takers and private rooms for testing at the college level through the ADA.

I am all for ADA helping the young students adapt to there special circumstances, but at the college level I have to admit I was shocked.

Is this kind of accomodation what the American's with Disabilities Act intended?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Since I don't know how severe her ADD is I really can't say. Also don't know if she is medicated.

I think as long as the test is administered properly I am not opposed to her taking it alone. But the mother cannot administer it, or be in the test room.

 

[phillybeth]

I am all for ADA helping the young students adapt to there special circumstances, but at the college level I have to admit I was shocked.

Is this kind of accomodation what the American's with Disabilities Act intended?

Why shouldn't diasabled persons have the same right to higher education that everyone else does? Are you saying that at the college level a university should not have to provide equal learning opportunities? So a blind student should have no access to note-takers or braille textbooks.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Personally, I'm not convinced that ADHD is a "disability". That's generally speaking, not in this particular case. There are treatments (meds, diet, behaviors) that certainly help. I have high blood pressure, I don't consider that a disability, either.

I don't have a problem with accomodations for people with special needs, but there really isn't a whole lot of information here--like if she's medicated and so forth.

I guess my big problem is the mother administering the test. I don't know that I could be an honest proctor to my child's exam, and even if I could be, there would always be questions on if the child was coached or otherwise helped in some way. In NY, you aren't allowed to give your own kid the standardized tests. And in our school, the teachers who grade the standardized tests are from different grades than the children taking them. This makes sense--a bias is highly unlikely (although technically still possible, if the teacher recognized handwriting or some such thing).

 

[Beth76]

I don't really know about or have an opinion on other accommodations, but in NO WAY should a person's mother be allowed to give the test or be in the room.

 

[Christine]

I think accommodations should be made; however, not with the mother administering the test.

I do not have ADD/ADHD. I remember taking the SAT many years ago. Honestly, for me, I think I would have scored the same at home or at the testing center. Taking tests doesn't bother me and where I take the test doesn't bother me. But, as I said, I don't have ADHD.

I have an adult friend who is 54 years old. He has the worst case of ADHD that I have ever seen in a child or adult. He didn't figure out what was wrong with him until he was 40 years old when his son was diagnosed. I sit next to him in our "cubicle farm" and I can tell you that he does MUCH more efficient and timely work when it is quiet and there aren't a lot of people milling about. He is treated with 80 mg of Ritalin a day but even that is not always enough to control it. You should see him when he is not medicated. Yowza!!! I can certainly see where he would perform better on a test in a room by himself rather than a large testing site.

So, yes, I think accommodations should be made. He is a smart man and why should we not allow him (or people like him) the opportunity to show us how smart they are?

I think until you have truly witnessed/experienced this type of disorder, you cannot appreciate it.

And I think that any disorder that impairs you in any physical and/or mental capacity is a disability.

So far, I haven't seen how having high blood pressure affects your ability to take tests, drive a car, or pay attention in class. I have a pretty severe thyroid problem but I don't consider it a disability. Sure, it makes me feel bad some days but I can carry on with my tasks and my performance doesn't lack for it.

 

[disneymom3]

Well, I homeschool, but don't have a child with ADD so I can only address part of it through personal experience. We are required to test annually and there are tests that can be administered by the parent. I however choose one that is administered by a certified tester because I feel that for my child it is a more "true" result.

As for the ACTs, I think it is bizarre to be taking it at home In a separate room with an individual tester I would be totally comfortable with, but not at home wiht her mom. How is this person going to take college classes if her mom has to administer this test?

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Speaking as a paraplegic w/ a few quadraplegic friends, note-takers are essential for such folks in college. If a quad has a high enough injury that he/she can't write, why shouldn't they have a note-taker? Such a person has every right to be in college and such accomodations are invaluable. I also agree with the comment about the blind.

If I could have taken the ACT at home, in my pjs, with a cup of coffee on hand I probably would have done better. But I don't think the mother should have been able to administer it or even be in the room. A certified tester should have done it.

 

[marlasmom]

I agree that this girl will probably do much better if the test is administered at home, and even understand that she will get "accommodations" in college, but what is she going to do in the real world?

 

[CarolA]

I have no problem with special testing, but I do have a problem with the Mother.

Also, while colleges are required to make special arrangements those do not include private classes. While I am sure ADD may be part of the problem it sounds like a ROUGH transistion is in place for this kid from the "private" world of one on one schooling to college.

 

[janette]

I think reasonable accomodations are fine, I don't really agree that they would have to allow the girl to take it at home with her mother but should at least provide a quiet place with distractions. My youngest is dyslexic and I expect that we will be asking for modifications when we have to do the testing.

 

[stm61]

as a former special ed teacher, a person with ADD, and the mother of an ADHD and an ADD child, I have no problems with accomadations on the college level for note taking, tape recorders, etc. I do have a problem with ACT or SAT aid. Most people are going to do better at home with mom, most will also do better in a room alone. Once a person enters college they aren't going to be the only one in the classroom and will have to deal with the distractions that come with it so I am not in favor of taking the test alone. Not sure my feelings on other accomadations such as extra time, I've never had to think about it before. Since I never taught 11th or 12th gr students and my oldest is 11, I'm not sure if our state allows accomadations on the hs exit exam. I know for sure that the military entrance exam, ASVAB, does not allow anything.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I agree that this girl will probably do much better if the test is administered at home, and even understand that she will get "accommodations" in college, but what is she going to do in the real world?

Awesome point!!!!!

 

[KarenC]

My son has ADHD but we don't home school. He also doesn't have any special accomodations at school, because he needs to learn how to deal with the real world. Standardized testing has never been an issue for him as long as he's been on his medication, so I won't ask for special accomodations for the ACT. But I don't have an issue with kids who do have problems taking the test in a less distracting environment. I don't think the mother should administer it, but that she should work with her local school district to include her daughter in whatever special accomodations they are making for their students with special needs.

 

[Becky2005]

I have to say, I would agree that making accomodations for it to be in a quiet room would be fine but NOT with the mother as the test giver, etc...

I have a child who is supposed to get accomodations for standardized testing (not solely for ADHD) and that was my biggest concern because he is smart & knows the information but he is also dyslexic and is at least a grade or 2 behind in reading levels, so if he couldn't read the question even if he KNEW the answer, he would do really bad on it. (From what I could tell from what DS told me, he didn't get them, so I'm fully expecting his tests results when we get them next year to be awful in all categories! In our case it's only elementary school and the results don't mean anything for us, it's more for the school since we don't even get the results until 1/2 through the next school year!)

Then again, I have some issues with standardized testing anyway! I never took the SAT/ACT since I took the PSAT and did so bad on that, I decided I would never take one again that wasn't required (I already knew I was going to the community college so knew it didn't matter). I did graduate with High Honors though & got my Associates Degree with making High Grades too even with doing poorly on the pre-test. LOL!

 

[kathyk2]

KarenC if your son used a wheelchair would you send him to an inaccessable school? Your son can receive accommodations if he advocates for himself. I know that if I didn't receive accomodations when I was in college my grades woulld have suffered.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm not convinced that taking the ACT in a separate room is a reasonable accomodation. Many college classes are huge and tests are frequent. Should all tests be given separately? How will the student every learn to adapt to what's expected in the real world?

As for Mom administering the test, no way! That is going too far for sure IMO.

 

[kylara]

Whether people agree with it or not, ADA interpretation is that if a student has a learning disability, which ADD/ADHD falls under, the school is required to make a reasonable accomodation. Those who interpret ADA have decided that it is a reasonable accomodation to give extra time or quieter places for tests. Most colleges have solved the test problem by using the testing center as a place for this to happen. If a student has a test and they need the accomodation, they take the test in the testing center rather than in class. The testing center is usually not in a room by themselves but they are rooms with fewer distractions. I know that the college I use to work at, that you were not allowed to carry out conversations in the center...talk was kept to a bare minimum, cell phones had to be off (nope they couldn't even be on vibrate), noise and movement are kept to a minimum.

Now none of these accommodations are a given. You need to have your test results and the doctors/specialist interpretation of what you need. And it does seem at the college level, the specialists are actually more reluctant to advocate for a lot of accomodations since they realize that after in the workforce the student will need to adapt with less accomodation.

As for the standardized tests..I can see letting them take them in a room that has less people, but no way can I see the mother proctoring it at home. The tests should still be taken at the test site, but in a smaller room. In fact, when I have proctored for the SAT (a few years ago) there was a smaller room for learning disabilities to take the tests...one for those needed extended time, one for those needing smaller, less distruptive rooms.

 

[KarenC]

KarenC if your son used a wheelchair would you send him to an inaccessable school? Your son can receive accommodations if he advocates for himself. I know that if I didn't receive accomodations when I was in college my grades woulld have suffered.

No, I wouldn't. My son does very well with his ADHD meds. He's on the honor roll and scores in the 90th percentile plus on standardized exams without any other help. Without the meds, that's an entirely different story. I do worry about how he'll do when he's in college and on his own. We both may have a different view of accomodations then. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

I'm not saying it's fair, but I think in the real world accomodations for ADHD will be less available than accomodations for people with limited mobility. He needs to learn his strengths and weaknesses and how to overcome his weaknesses before he goes off into the working world.

 

[poohandwendy]

I think that accomodations should be in place to put that person on equal footing (as close to possible) with others without a disability, but those accomodations should not place them at an advantage above those without disabilities.

Testing at home or by a parent is placing them at an unfair advantage, IMHO.

Originally Posted by marlasmom
I agree that this girl will probably do much better if the test is administered at home, and even understand that she will get "accommodations" in college, but what is she going to do in the real world?

I agree.