[blindkid] Gifted testing

Richard Holloway rholloway at gopbc.org
Wed Feb 1 19:06:26 UTC 2012


First thought: I would not sign anything, not that you also would not have the right to rescind such a document later, but they are obliged to test your daughter as far as I am aware. 

Now here in Georgia, that is sooner than they normally test. First grade would be common and Kindergarten is by special request only, but if this is when they test all kids there, hold your ground.

Certainly you do not need to GRANT them permission not to test, and in fact if they are not obligated, why in the world would they want to ask for an exemption? Sounds like they are trying to get you to agree that you won't do anything if they break their own policies.

We have fought this battle already, and they simply told us (no request for our permission) that they would not be testing our daughter. We indicated they were mistaken  and told them we expected them to test her. Again, this was in first grade.

There is a long follow-up I will not post here, save to say that they claimed she did not qualify, but the people who had adapted the test for her to take said she did. It took about a year of fighting, but she is now in the gifted program.

They are (as you suggest yourself) trying to set up a dangerous precedent. I would suggest that no matter if your child may qualify now or not, she should be tested like the other kids, and no matter what the school says, there are ADAPTED testing instruments available (and adapted applications of existing tests where visual questions, for example, are thrown out and the score is computed compensating for appropriate deleted questions.)

I think exempting our kids from testing (even if we think they may not qualify) sends the wrong message to ALL involved. Our kids think they have no chance to qualify. Teachers think they can treat our kids differently. Other students think blind kids can't do things that they can do.

I would absolutely tell them to find an adapted testing instrument. This is part of their job and your child deserves the same opportunities as her sighted peers. 

Part of the challenge here is probably that nothing has been set up for a process to adapt standardized testing as you are still fairly early in the process of sorting out your child's particular needs. Each IEP sort of builds off of the previous ones and over time, you get all the accommodations figured out, because they are probably sort of right about not being able to modify the testing right now. They can't modify it (or the process) unless there is a provision for this particular child in her own active IEP.

If you really don't want to fight the fight this time around, at the very least, you need to make them aware that you expect better planning for future testing and tell them you want this addressed in the next IEP. If you've already had one for next year, call it again. You have that right.

I know it is hard, but be strong and don't let any of them push you into decisions with which you disagree. You're the parent. This is YOUR call.

Good Luck!




On Feb 1, 2012, at 12:51 PM, L wrote:

> Hi all,
> So my 5 year old is in a regular kindergarten class.  The SCOPE program (gifted) has been coming into the classroom and working with the students and hannah's VI teacher and aide have adapted all materials for her.  Well, now they will be testing ALL kindergarten students for the program.  The test is not allowed to be altered in any way and they have no version for blind students/low vision.  I was told it is a very visual test.  The principal has stated that Hannah is not to take this test at all and they want me to sign an addendum to exempt her from this test.  This is not necessarily an issue I really want to fight right now, because I don't think Hannah will qualify at this time for gifted services.  BUT I feel that it is completely unfair that they just want to exempt her from the test when all the other students are taking it.  I also don't want to say okay and exempt maybe this year and next year while she is still learning all her
> braille, but what if in the future I feel like she should take it and they say "well you always exempted her before..."  Any thoughts?  Thank you!  Laurie Wages (Hannah's mom)
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