Should students diagnosed with ADHD get extra time to take tests?

[Riprorin]

It was unheard of when I was a student 20 years ago but it seems pretty common nowadays.

Isn't one of the things that is being tested is your ability to think quickly?

Wonder how many students/parents take advantage of the system to get an edge?

edited title since I wasn't refering to students with physical diabilities.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

I've never heard of this. What level are we talking about this happening at?

 

[Nocturnal]

I know for a fact if you're diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and seek help through your school's health center you are able to get more time on a test.

 

[cressida]

Yes they should if it is medical (I know quite a few) but then there are some who pretend to have a medical reason.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
I know for a fact if you're diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and seek help through your school's health center you are able to get more time on a test.

I'm of definite mixed emotions about that... On one hand, people who truly have it may indeed need special treatment. On the other hand, I have a feeling that ADD and ADHD are vastly over-diagnosed.

 

[Tom]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
I know for a fact if you're diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and seek help through your school's health center you are able to get more time on a test.

seems like they ought to get less time, having shorter attention spans..

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: Synergy
Yes they should if it is medical (I know quite a few) but then there are some who pretend to have a medical reason.

Exactly. I know people who fake a medical condition just to get extra time on tests, and because of this they benefit immensely.

 

[konichiwa]

The only situation that I've ever heard of where kids get extra time is on the SAT. You can go to quite extreme lengths -- hours of testing, etc to weed out the fakers -- and you can get extra time.

I'm a little mixed about it. On one hand kids with ADD and other learning disabilities are at an inherent disadvantage, but it seems to me that the point of the SAT (whether it works or not is debatable) is to measure Scholastic Aptitude, and ADD or other learning disabilities are reflections of your scholastic aptitude.

After all, they don't give kids from low-income families or from bad schools extra time, so why should kids with ADD get extra time?

I'm conflicted

 

[Riprorin]

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: Synergy
Yes they should if it is medical (I know quite a few) but then there are some who pretend to have a medical reason.

Exactly. I know people who fake a medical condition just to get extra time on tests, and because of this they benefit immensely.

Doesn't that bother you when you are competing against them for scholaships?

 

[ohtwell]

I know that children who are learning disabled, or who have other disabilities, are commonly allowed more time for tests. I see nothing wrong with this. Tests are to make sure that you understand the content, not to make sure you can answer questions quickly.


: ) Amanda

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: Synergy
Yes they should if it is medical (I know quite a few) but then there are some who pretend to have a medical reason.

Exactly. I know people who fake a medical condition just to get extra time on tests, and because of this they benefit immensely.

Doesn't that bother you when you are competing against them for scholaships?

Well, the scholarship I won was because I was nominated by a department chair because of my true interest in engineering and the sciences. I haven't competed for any scholastic merit scholarships yet. The said person that I know fake's is also in the grade lower than me though, so I would not be competing against him.

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: konichiwa
The only situation that I've ever heard of where kids get extra time is on the SAT. You can go to quite extreme lengths -- hours of testing, etc to weed out the fakers -- and you can get extra time.

I'm a little mixed about it. On one hand kids with ADD and other learning disabilities are at an inherent disadvantage, but it seems to me that the point of the SAT (whether it works or not is debatable) is to measure Scholastic Aptitude, and ADD or other learning disabilities are reflections of your scholastic aptitude.

After all, they don't give kids from low-income families or from bad schools extra time, so why should kids with ADD get extra time?

I'm conflicted

I never would have looked at it that way, but that's an interesting idea.

 

[Riprorin]

Originally posted by: ohtwell
I know that children who are learning disabled, or who have other disabilities, are commonly allowed more time for tests. I see nothing wrong with this. Tests are to make sure that you understand the content, not to make sure you can answer questions quickly.


: ) Amanda

You don't that part of intelligence is the ability to think quickly?

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: ohtwell
I know that children who are learning disabled, or who have other disabilities, are commonly allowed more time for tests. I see nothing wrong with this. Tests are to make sure that you understand the content, not to make sure you can answer questions quickly.


: ) Amanda

But some tests are there to see how well you can think quickly (IQ tests and SAT's are two for instance). If person X got more time on an SAT, there score will inherently be at an advantage.

 

[Riprorin]

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: Synergy
Yes they should if it is medical (I know quite a few) but then there are some who pretend to have a medical reason.

Exactly. I know people who fake a medical condition just to get extra time on tests, and because of this they benefit immensely.

Doesn't that bother you when you are competing against them for scholaships?

Well, the scholarship I won was because I was nominated by a department chair because of my true interest in engineering and the sciences. I haven't competed for any scholastic merit scholarships yet. The said person that I know fake's is also in the grade lower than me though, so I would not be competing against him.

Okay, let's generalize a bit. Don't you think that some students with phoney diagnoses are taking scholarships away from students who are honestly taking the test?

Or taking away spots at schools that more qualified students should get.

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: Synergy
Yes they should if it is medical (I know quite a few) but then there are some who pretend to have a medical reason.

Exactly. I know people who fake a medical condition just to get extra time on tests, and because of this they benefit immensely.

Doesn't that bother you when you are competing against them for scholaships?

Well, the scholarship I won was because I was nominated by a department chair because of my true interest in engineering and the sciences. I haven't competed for any scholastic merit scholarships yet. The said person that I know fake's is also in the grade lower than me though, so I would not be competing against him.

Okay, let's generalize a bit. Don't you think that some students with phoney diagnoses are taking scholarships away from students who are honestly taking the test?

In that case, yes, I agree with you.

 

[kami333]

I once tried to argue that since English isn't my first language and I couldn't write as fast as other people so I should get more time on essay tests. Didn't work though

It usually doesn't bother me for stuff like SATs since I usually end up with extra time on my hands. It does bother me on long essay tests or tests in chem or physics where the professor isn't expecting you to have extra time, the extra hour one of the guys in my orgo class got helped him tremendously.

 

[ScottyB]

I have ADHD and I am always one of the first ones done when taking a test. I say no.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: ScottyB
I have ADHD and I am always one of the first ones done when taking a test. I say no.

same here.

Then again, I am going to my college tommorow to let them know that I have ADHD and am colorblind (might just be a problem in my bio class that starts Monday).

 

[FoBoT]

this is crap :frown:

is an employer going to give certain employees more time to finish a project?

should they have two assembly lines at the car factory, one for "normal" workers and one for "special" workers" ? :Q

you can't run a business like that, school should prepare people for real life, not coddle them in a false environment

 

[Lizardman]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
this is crap :frown:

is an employer going to give certain employees more time to finish a project?

should they have two assembly lines at the car factory, one for "normal" workers and one for "special" workers" ? :Q

you can't run a business like that, school should prepare people for real life, not coddle them in a false environment

I agree 100% with this statement.

 

[digitalsm]

In accordance with the ADA, Colleges have to give extra time to those that are diagnosed with certain disabilities. Those diagnosed must show proper paper work/proof to their school to be eligable.

 

[Mani]

I know someone who got to take an untimed ACT becasuse he was a slow test taker - ended up taking something like 8 hrs and got a 32. I know he wouldn't have broken a 20 if he had taken it timed. In college or real life, you're not going to have 8 hours to do something that should take 3.

 

[SuperTool]

Either everyone should get extra time or nobody. I had a friend in college who got extra time. There would be some crazy test where everyone ran out of time, and he would just sit there for hours and finish it. Not fair at all.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I have found that for most people with ADHD, they are the first ones to finish the test...either we know it or we don't.