Accommodation Assessments

What Are Accommodations?

Individuals with a physical disability, learning disability, or a neurological condition which impedes their ability to take standardized tests may be eligible for testing accommodations. For an employee who has ADHD, the ADA act can require the employer to provide reasonable workplace accommodations, as long as it doesn’t create undue hardship for the business.

Testing accommodations are adaptations made to a regular testing environment - such as extended test-taking times or distraction-free rooms - that allow individuals with disabilities to demonstrate their aptitude on a given subject matter.

Both the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 permit testing accommodations in classroom settings and, in certain cases, accommodations for high-stakes testing such as state-level assessments and college admission exams.

Student disabilities must be well-documented by a qualified healthcare professional and submitted to the testing entity to qualify for academic accommodations. Dr. Tansman of Psychological Assessment Services can test for and document the continuing existence of learning disabilities or neurological conditions that may result in modifications to you or your child’s testing environment.

Remember that in a workplace, an ADHD diagnosis alone does not constitute a disability and, therefore, would not require your employer to accommodate you. It is only by demonstrating that your diagnosis impairs your ability to perform your job functions effectively that it is deemed a disability, thereby requiring the employer to accommodate under the ADA.

To schedule an assessment with Dr. Tansman at her Los Angeles, Calabasas, Pasadena, or Irvine office, call (310) 734-0306 or contact us online today!

What Disabilities Qualify for Testing Accommodations?

There are many circumstances that may affect a student’s ability to take tests. The following is a list of disabilities which may warrant testing accommodations; this list is not all-inclusive nor does it imply that testing accommodations are automatically granted upon receiving a diagnosis of one of these medical conditions.

• Attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD)
• Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, auditory processing disorder, or dysgraphia
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Psychiatric impairments such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder

What Are the Types of Testing Accommodations Available?

There is a wide-range of testing accommodations available which are dependent upon a person’s disability; these include:

• Distraction-free rooms or other alternative test-taking setting
• Additional breaks during the testing session
• Extended time, such as 50% extra time than other students or testing over the course of multiple sessions or days
• Changes to the test format, such as changing test questions from short answer to multiple choice
• Changes to the administration of the test, such as larger-sized font or the use of text-to-speech technology
• Outside assistance, such as having test instructions or questions clarified by an instructor or assistance documenting test answers

However, there is no real limit to the range of academic accommodations that can be made for students with disabilities, so long as that student is not given an advantage over other students as a result of the testing modification. Some students with significant or severe learning disabilities may also be eligible to complete alternative grading evaluations rather than test taking.

What Are the Benefits to Test Accommodations?

Testing accommodations assure that all students, including those with learning disabilities and special needs, have fair and equal access to education and that educators receive accurate assessments of students’ knowledge on a given subject.

In addition, test accommodations help students with disabilities to feel more comfortable and confident with the test-taking process, alleviating stress and worry, and give students with disabilities a better chance at academic opportunities achieved through standardized testing.

Testing, Licensing Exam, and Work Anxiety Accommodations

It may be necessary to qualify for a new accommodation or update an existing one for pre-college testing, such as the SAT and ACT, or postgraduate testing, such as the MCAT, LSAT, GMAT, DAT, OAT, and GRE.

Dr. Tansman can also assist with accommodations for professional licensing exams, including healthcare exams such as the USMLE, NCLEX, NPTE, and COMLEX-USA; engineering exams such as the FE and PE; law exams such as the Bar Exam and UBE; accounting exams such as the AICPA; education exams such as the CBEST and PRAXIS; real estate DRE salesperson and broker examinations; and most specialized vocational exams. Upon diagnosis verification she will provide a report and all needed supporting documentation.

Schedule an Accommodation Assessment

Psychoeducational and neuropsychological evaluations are thorough assessments which can help determine whether you or your child are experiencing a learning disability or are afflicted with a neurological condition which is impacting testing success.

Dr. Tansman of Psychological Assessment Services has extensive experience as a licensed psychologist and can conduct psychoeducational evaluations in the privacy and comfort of her offices. Her evaluation can help lay the groundwork for, or continuation of,  a testing accommodation, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan eligibility.

To schedule an assessment with Dr. Tansman at her Los Angeles, Rolling Hills, Pasadena, Irvine, or Calabasas office, call (310) 734-0306 or contact us online today!

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