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Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD and PDD-NOS

Learning Challenges

 An old-fashioned phrase that Summit Academy understands well is "making allowances." We understand the challenges faced by students with Asperger's Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) and take those challenges into account in our daily interactions with students.

Many of our students exhibit:

     *Trouble with organizational skills, so we use visual strategies to help them stay organized.

     *Problems with abstract thinking, so we use experiential learning to teach new concepts.

     *A low tolerance for change, so we keep to a predictable schedule and teach tolerance for the unexpected in small doses.

     *Difficulties in perspective taking, so we offer explicit instruction in reading the thoughts and feelings of others.

     *Challenging behaviors, so we support children learning to cope with the effects of disabilities while we work with them to help them understand more acceptable ways of communicating their feelings.

At Summit Academy, we celebrate the successes our children have and appreciate the wonderful people that they are!

    

 
  
 
Feedback: Speak Out About Fair Testing for Our Students!
Currently, students with learning disabilities like ADHD, Asperger's, High-Functioning Autism, PDD-NOS and related disorders are given the same standardized test (The Ohio Achievement Test) as non-disabled students. This test clearly discriminates against students with these types of Learning Disabilities, is biased and penalizes them unfairly, and is abusive toward them.

We invite you to leave your comments about this situation and how it unjustly treats our students and our schools. We ask you to urge the Governor's Administration, State Legislators and ODE officials to provide a more useful and accurate measure of academic growth, and provide a more appropriate assessment of academic accountability.





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mmuhleman@sbcglobal.net    6/16/2008 7:02:55 PM
OAT tests
I have three boys, one "on the spectrum" one with ADHD and the other remains to be seen. The first two have trouble with directions and have trouble focussing in the classroom. Both get to have tests read and occasionally have a scribe by their IEP. Why this is not true during standardized testing is beyond me. Not using IEP accomodations on these tests sets up the child who needs accomodations to fail, highlighting their disability and not showcasing what they truly have learned. If the state wishes to have accurate data, it would seem that in order to do so IEP accomodations should carryover to the standardized testing arena as well. To do otherwise is sort of like telling the kid with pop-bottle glasses he can''t take the test wearing his glasses.
hudsondoyles@windstream.net    6/16/2008 6:43:23 PM

I am a 40 year old ADHD "survivor". I have an 8 year old that was just diagnosed . I had TERRIBLE times with the SAT and ACT and the GRE exams. The tests were so confusing for me. I even took prep classes for the tests. I have found theat they were not reflective of my knowledge. I currently hold two bachelor''s degrees and am pursuing my intervention specialist degree and am stiil suffering the repecussions of my poor GRE scores. I have to enter my graduate coursework as a "special standin''s " student even though I took those tests 20 years ago. I think they need to determine someone''s true knowlege by utilizing different formats for testing. I found that I excelled in essay tests. It let me showcase my knowledge of the concepts, and is that not the point?
ulcermommy@hotmail.com    6/13/2008 5:12:35 PM
fair testing?
If anyone truly understands the dynamics of the disorder itself, they would honestly know that the current testing for those that share characteristics of any of the pervasiive disorder is unjust and obviously unfair!!! It is ridiculous for people to believe that these tests aren''t biased!
lori.pak@hotmail.com    6/13/2008 12:13:44 PM
Testing
I have an 11 year old with Asperger''s, he also has a very HIGH level of anxiety!! Testing for my child is really impossible due to his anxiety. I''m sure as all you parents reading these comments will agree, What is the exact purpose of all of this testing our children have to go through?? All the testing does to the majority of our children is frustrate them, make them feel even more insecure about themselves, and pretty much us as parents can chalk that week up as a loss for our kids, so there missing the time they could be in school actually learning something, so you people can get your testing done!! I really wish that the people who started all of this Bullcrap testing would put themselves in our shoes as parents, so they can see what an everyday challange we have with these children, let alone on testing days!!!! I will guarentee who ever the idiot is that started all this testing doesn''t have a child with a disability, because if they did I will guarentee all of our children
Rnorman234@aol.com    6/13/2008 8:22:11 AM
fair testing for students
Finally we have schools where our kids can get the help they need, they are no longer singled out. It is so unfair to give these kids the same standardized tests as kids who are non-disabled. If you had a child with one of these disabilities you would fight for change in testing.
mvitacco03@comcast.net    6/12/2008 9:21:26 PM
Testing
I am a teacher and a parent of a son with Asperger''s. I think modifications and or adaptations need to be made for students with Asperger''s. It should be in accordance with the Individualized Education Plan for each student. Some students with Asperger''s can''t sit as long as it takes to administer this test. Each student should be evaluated to determine the most appropriate setting to give the test and it should be given in small increments.
jralex002@aol.com    6/12/2008 9:07:09 PM
Tests
I have two daughters on the spectrum and they are as different as night and day. I was contemplating holding my first grader back. However, she passed her grade level tests in a modified setting with out distractions and a guide to keep her focused. However, her everyday performance is not even close to that. She tests better than she performs on simple everyday tasks. I have no idea how my second daughter will perform. The inconsistancy of performance is big too. Give my daughter the test on a good day and she will ace it, a bad day watch out! Testing is good if you use what you learn from the test to modify instruction to help them learn what they don''t know. But to use testing as a standard of learning is wrong. Some people are good test takers and awful at life skills or common sense and others couldn''t pass a test but have great common sense and become millionaires. Make learning fun and inviting and purposeful and quit pushing the standards up so quickly at an earl
tamararichards@sbcglobal.net    6/12/2008 12:34:41 PM
OAT tests
My 11 year old daughter has Asperger''s Syndrome. She attends Lake Local schools and needs some assistance in math. While she can handle the academics and the test material, she has difficulty following directions and managing frustration. Her IEP makes allowances for this, but to expect all children with a disability to take the same tests in the same environment as "typical" kids is short-sighted and counter-productive. What good is an IEP and all the services if the bean-counter mentality forces these children to fit a pre-conceived mold? In my opinion, the importance placed on these tests has undermined the education that both regular students and those with a disability receive. Teachers are "hand-cuffed" in their teaching methods and must focus on teaching to take the test. Standardized testing should be an evaluation tool, not the end product of education.
oasis_wc@yahoo.com    6/12/2008 11:37:35 AM
testing
I understand the need of testing our kids. I also know that my son who has Autism, accademically is with his peers, but being able to take the test can be difficult. In order for him to be tested fairly with what he knows, he needs someone to sit with him to state the sentence and even scribe for him. Most of our kids need something along those lines. Please consider allowing the aid they need to take these tests. To be fairly tested. One size does not fit all...we have never been a country that takes on the view.
pebbles9657@aol.com    6/12/2008 10:50:09 AM
standardized testing
I am the parent of a child who has an Autism spectrum disorder. She is a bright child, but does not comprehend or relate in the same way that typical children do. Children with these kinds of disabilities are being discriminated agains by being made to take the same standardized test as non-disabled students. It''s a very biased way of testing them and in an unfair evaluation. I''m urging your administration state legislators and ODE officials to provide a more useful and accurate measure of academic growth, and provide a more appropriate assessment of academic accountability.
  
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