Return-Path: <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id iAO1K6Q13194; Tue, 23 Nov 2004 20:20:06 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 20:20:06 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <036c01c4d1c3$41da4cf0$6501a8c0@PattiAALRC> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Patti White" <prwhite@MadisonCounty.NET> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:4531] Re: Introduction and Question about LD Assessment for GED X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2180 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 7457 Lines: 136 Wow....this is the fourth time I've seen this message on a listserv today....and while I'm not the designated person to answer on this one (we're doing an "ask the expert" thing on the assessment site), I feel like I should respond. But here's a warning to people who are checking the LINCS assessment site, too: I've already written this once today, so you've seen it. Let me preface this by saying that we've been dealing with this for the last ten years in Arkansas and finally have a statewide solution. It took us ten years, but I'm thinking other states can follow the lead. I'll include what we're doing here and end with some suggestions for what you can try while you're busy doing what needs to be done to help get something set up for your own state. The funding we get for LD diagnosis is through our state leadership funds, and is only for adult education or literacy students whose goal is to pass the GED tests. Our previous state director, Mr. Garland Hankins, agreed to set aside some of those funds for this purpose to eliminate the barriers for those students in requesting and receiving accommodations on the GED. Most of our local programs have teachers/staff who have completed at least one training regarding screening adults for learning disabilities, which includes a comprehensive screening process, not just the administration of a particular screening tool. Volunteer tutors are not trained to conduct LD screening, although many of them have attended workshops to learn about teaching adults with learning disabilities. Students whose screening process indicates a need for further testing are referred to one of the 30 or so people we have trained to administer the Woodcock-Johnson test. If the student is unemployed, s/he is then referred to Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) to apply for services with that agency. ARS has agreed to conduct the WAIS test for potential clients who are working on their GED. Their in-house psychologist uses the WJ and WAIS scores to determine the presence of a learning disability and make recommendations for accommodations. If the student has a job but no resources to pay for private WAIS testing, we (the Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center) have contracted with a number of mental health councils and private psychologists in the state to conduct the WAIS test for $150, which the AALRC pays for with those state leadership funds. This is all spelled out pretty completely on our website at http://www.aalrc.org/resources/ld/referralProcess.aspx if you want more specific information about the process. Some other potential resources for free or inexpensive diagnosis are: (1) Local mental health centers that diagnose on a sliding scale. (2) Some universities with graduate programs in psychology will conduct the evaluation free or on a sliding scale. The grad students do the assessments; the professor signs off as the certifying professional. (3) Sometimes you can find one or more local psychologists willing to do some pro-bono assessments. They can write it off on their taxes if you work for a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization. We had one such person walk into one of our local adult ed. programs and volunteer, completely unsolicited. She had done a lot of work for the public schools and is just one of those really neat people who likes to volunteer. (4) Some Speech & Hearing clinics at universities will do the assessment for a very reasonable cost, like $50. My experience has been that what works the best if you don't have a statewide way to deal with this issue is for local program directors to make presentations at civic organization luncheons, like Rotary or Kiwanis.....explain what you need and what you can provide in return for the community...and see what happens. Rotary has a huge literacy project underway and especially targets people with disabilities, so I'd start with them first. One other thing I can mention is that we know that about 30% of people with learning disabilities also have AD/HD. To get accommodations on the GED for AD/HD, you don't have to have the whole psychological evaluation documented (i.e., I.Q. and achievement tests, etc.). You still use the L-15 form to request accommodations, but you only need to submit a letter from the person who diagnosed the AD/HD, usually a medical doctor, saying when the person was diagnosed and what instructional and testing accommodations would be helpful. There's a section of the L-15 for the doctor to fill out with his or her license number, expiration date, etc. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Patti White Disabilities Project Manager Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center prwhite@madisoncounty.net ----- Original Message ----- From: Michele Craig (shellcraig@ix.netcom.com) To: Multiple recipients of list Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 5:20 PM Subject: [NIFL-LD:4529] Introduction and Question about LD Assessment for GED Hello to All, I have been on the NIFL-BASICS list for some time, but a recent cross post that you all responded to about teaching long division (thank you) and Rochelle's invitation has persuaded me to add another list! I teach ABE and GED (in the same classroom) at the Woodland Adult School in Woodland, California. I have been working there for about 7 years now and previously taught college level composition courses at UC Berkeley and at the local community college. I recently attended the Area 3 Writing Project and developed a presentation on teaching writing to adults with learning disabilities. The more I work at this (and because I now have a son with ld) the more I realize how many of my adult students have learning disabilities and how few resources they have to cope with them. My latest hobby-horse is trying to get money to provide services to my ld students who want to take the GED with accomodations. The GED has a rule that the assessment has to be current within the last five years. Our school district does not provide assessments for the adult school, so I contacted the CA State Department of Education about who would provide assessments for adults. They sent me to our local community college. They said they can't provide assessments unless they are enrolled in the college (because of the cost). Then I emailed Sac State to see if they had graduate students in Special Ed who might do the assessments (no reply). Then I emailed the Bill Gates Foundation who replied, "Sorry, we are reserving our grants for "at risk" students who are unlikely to graduate from high school..." So I am still running in circles. Mostly these are students who qualified for special education services as children, but their assessments are not current according to GED rules. But learning disabilities don't go away, do they? These students tend to be intelligent and can pass the GED with extra time. One of these students has severe dysgraphia and dyslexia and can pass the essay exam with a Franklin Speller and extra time, but will not pass otherwise. I also have 3 students who are relearning (and in some cases I suspect learning for the first time) skills and two with severe mental illness. They have neurologists and psychologists, so they will probably receive accomodations for medical reasons. How do the rest of you deal with the issue of assessment and accommodations in your schools? Michele Craig
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