Getting a Testing Accommodation for Children With Disabilities

Federal laws promise children with learning disabilities access to special education services, including testing accommodations, which are changes to a test or how it's administered. Children who have been diagnosed with reading, writing, or math disabilities, as well as children with ADHD, can qualify for testing accommodations.

What Are Testing Accommodations?

A testing accommodation is any change made in testing in order to "level the playing field" and prevent children's disabilities from interfering with their ability to demonstrate their actual skill level and knowledge. Testing accommodations aren't intended to alter or lower the standards or expectations for a subject or test, or to give learning disabled children or children with other disabilities an unfair advantage.

Examples of Testing Accommodations

There are many different possible testing accommodations to consider. Testing accommodations may affect the presentation of the exam, permissible ways for the child to respond, the timing of the exam, and the setting in which the exam is given.

Some examples of testing accommodations include:

• allowing extended time
• allowing rest time or frequent breaks
• administering the exam in a quiet room
• preferential seating for the exam
• providing a scribe to write down a child's oral answers or a tape recorder to capture their responses, and
• permission to take the exam on a computer.

What Learning Disabilities Qualify for Testing Accommodations?

There are many different kinds of learning disabilities (LDs) that can require testing accommodations, but the three most common forms of learning disabilities are reading disabilities (such as dyslexia), written language disabilities, and math disabilities. These disabilities can qualify for testing accommodations.

Some disabilities that are not learning disabilities impact a child's ability to learn and so are covered under the special education laws. For example, intellectual disabilities, emotional disorders, and sensory impairments aren't considered learning disabilities. Nor is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But ADHD can make it hard for children to focus and manage their behavior due to impulsivity and sensation-seeking behavior. Other disabilities that affect memory, social skills, or cognitive processes (such as multi-tasking) also affect learning. So children with one or more of these disabilities can qualify for testing accommodations.

What Laws Require Schools to Provide Special Education and Accommodations?

The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees every child with a disability a free and appropriate public education designed to meet her individual needs. IDEA provides some funding for state-administered special education programs and guarantees education services for children with disabilities, including LD, from birth through high school.

Some children with LD don't qualify to receive services under IDEA but fortunately do qualify for similar protections under another law, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provides that children with disabilities can't be excluded from or discriminated against under any federally funded programs or activities because of disability.

Section 504 applies to public school districts, higher education institutions, and other state and local government education agencies. In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act extends the range of Section 504 to cover the full range of state or local public schools, programs, or activities even if they do not receive any federal funding.

Both Section 504 and IDEA permit testing accommodations. For an overview of the differences between IDEA and Section 504, visit ldonline.org.

Getting Testing Accommodations in Public School

To receive testing accommodations under either IDEA or Section 504, a child must first be formally identified as having a learning disability or other related disability. If the child is in a public school, the child must then obtain an individualized plan from the school that details, among other things, what testing accommodations the child may receive to help increase their educational success. For children protected under IDEA, this plan is referred to as an Individualized Education Program (IEP). For those who qualify under the Rehabilitation Act it is called a "504 plan."

The specific testing accommodations for a child are chosen jointly by the parents and teachers (or other school district representatives) at the IEP meeting.

To find out more about the process for obtaining an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for your child, see our series of articles on IEPs and special education.

Private Schools and Testing Accommodations

If the child is in a private school, the school may not require an IEP or 504 plan in order to grant testing accommodations. But the school will likely require a learning disability or ADHD assessment to be completed by a psychologist or psychiatrist to show proof of diagnosis, as well as recommendations for testing accommodations.

Under IDEA, the protections provided to children with disabilities enrolled in private school vary depending on two factors: whether the child was placed in private school by her parents or by the public school district, and whether this occurred before or after the child was found to be IDEA eligible. Children enrolled in private schools by their parents do not necessarily have the same rights to special education and testing accommodations as children in public schools. The U.S. Department of Education publishes a brochure with more information on when children in public schools are entitled to special education services at https://ed.gov.