The Department of Justice has also released  video clarification of key rights for students regarding testing accommodations under the ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act.  The entire video is located at the bottom of this post, but we are highlighting a section that mentions dyslexia by name (starts at 3:29)

Exams are to be administered in order to best ensure that the exam results accurately reflect the individual’s aptitude or achievement level rather than the presence of a disability.

 

Roberta Kirkendall, Special Legal Counsel, Civil Rights Division

 

 

 

So if a history exam is to accurately reflect a dyslexic student’s aptitude or achievement in history, accommodations must be put in place to ensure the test is accurately assessing that knowledge, understanding, or synthesis, rather than processing speed, spelling, or an ability to accurately read the questions.

In the area of math, if a test is to accurately reflect a dyslexic or dyscalculic student’s aptitude or achievement in math, accommodations (like a calculator) must be put in place to ensure the test is accurately assessing the knowledge, understanding, or problem solving ability, rather than processing speed, handwriting ability, or ability to speed or accuracy of retrieving basic math facts.

Please print out this page and take to your student’s teacher or school professional if your student isn’t receiving accommodations under the ADA. The Department of Justice video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT8FQVfnP5A&feature=youtu.be

We will be publishing other articles on this video document in future blog posts. The denial of appropriate testing accommodations is rampant problem here in the United States. Today, only a minority of students are formally identified with dyslexia and few teacher receive formal education about dyslexia or meeting their students’ accommodations as required by the ADA.

 

 

 

 

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