What is a Test Accommodation?

Test accommodations are changes to the regular testing environment and auxiliary aids and services that allow children with disabilities to demonstrate their aptitude or achievement level on standardized exams or other tests.

What are the Types?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures that children with disabilities have the opportunity to fairly compete for and pursue such opportunities by requiring testing entities (private, state, and local) to offer exams in a manner accessible for them. Below are examples of the range of testing accommodations that may be available: 

• • Braille or large-print exam booklets
  • Screen reading technology
  • Extended time on tests
  • Distraction-free rooms
  • Scribes to transfer answers to bubble sheets or record dictated notes and essays
  • Wheelchair-accessible testing locations
  • Physical prompts for children with hearing impairments
  • Permission to bring or take medications during the exam
  • Accommodations for adults for specialized testing

Evaluations for Test Accommodations in The Woodlands

According to the ADA, children with disabilities, such as a physical or mental impairment, are eligible to receive necessary testing accommodations. However, proper testing and assessment may be required to indicate whether a child’s impairment substantially limits a life activity, such as taking a standardized test. 

Geo-Anna Q. Hirshenbaum PhD, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, provides evaluations for test accommodations in The Woodlands, Texas. Through careful analysis, Dr. Hirshenbaum’s assessment process allows for diagnostic clarity and individualized recommendations to move forward in pinpointing issues of distress, planning effective treatment, and reaching personal goals.