SAT and ACT Testing Accommodations in Palm Beach, Florida

SAT/ ACT Testing in Palm Beach, Florida by Jim Forgan, Ph.D. 561-625-4125.

Some high school students taking the SAT or ACT need reasonable accommodations. I have tested many high school students for learning disabilities, ADD/ ADHD, etc. so that if the teen has a documented need, he or she can receive SAT/ ACT accommodations.  The SAT is a test that causes stress for students.  This stress or anxiety is doubled or tripled when your child has a learning disorder.  Extended testing time can help your teen.  If your teen already has a 504 plan or IEP (Individualized Education Program) in school they may already have the 50% or 100% extended time already in place.  When it comes to SAT and ACT testing, already having the extended time accommodation in place in high school is a good thing.

See, the SAT and ACT folks don’t usually grant extended time on their tests if the teen does not already have, and use, extended time testing in high school.  The thought behind this is that if the teen does not need extended time on the FCAT, ERB, ITBS, etc., types of tests then he or she probably does not need extra time on the ACT and SAT testing.  If the teen really needs extended time on the ACT and SAT then he or she should need extended time testing on the FCAT, ERB, ITBS types of testing too.  The point here is that if you want extended time on the SAT or ACT tests then make sure you have the extended time testing already in place in school.

My testing to document your teen’s need for SAT and/or ACT accommodations takes place here in my office in Jupiter, Florida.  The testing takes about 4.5 hours and can be done in one day or split between two days.  Testing depends on your teen and in my experience, most teens prefer to knock out the testing in one session.  When teens choose this option we just take breaks every hour or more often as needed.   The main parts of the documentation the SAT and ACT folks look for include an IQ test, academic testing in math, reading and writing, information or neuropsychological processing tests, and sometimes other types of testing depending on the needs of your teen.

An important test to use

One test I use to help document your child’s need for an extended testing time request is the Nelson Denny Reading Test.  This reading test has lengthy passages that are similar to the ACT and/or SAT testing passages.  The nice feature about the Nelson Denny Reading Test is that it has a standard administration as well as a 50% extended time administration.  This helps document your child’s improvement in reading comprehension when he or she has 50% extended time administration.  Not all psychologists use this test so you’ll want to make sure the psychologist you work with uses the Nelson Denny.

Use the contact form above or call me if you’d like to discuss testing for your teen.