No-Stress Guide to Testing Accommodations

Applying for ACT or SAT accommodations can be complicated.

If you have a student who learns differently in your family, you may already know some of the hurdles that pop up when navigating the educational system. But high-stakes testing can feel especially stressful, bringing up all kinds of questions:

• How do I know if my student needs accommodations?
• When should we start the process of applying for accommodations?
• What documentation will we need?
• How does the application process work?
• How long does the approval process take?

The College Board and the ACT each have their own guidelines, timeframes and expectations, so it can be challenging to understand your options. To help you identify actionable steps in the process of securing accommodations for the ACT or a College Board test like the SAT, PSAT or AP exams, Applerouth has put together a reference guide to applying for testing accommodations. This guide includes information on eligibility, helpful documentation to have on hand, and a timeline so you know what to expect.

Whether you have been entrenched with the documentation of learning differences and other neurodiversities for years, never needed to put a formal plan in place until now, or are just discovering a student’s challenges, we know this process with its multiple moving parts and parties can seem overwhelming and discouraging. Armed with the same growth mindset we teach our students, our hope is that this written resource can be a handy and helpful reminder of what needs to be done to help students do their best—not just on test day, but every day.

Learning differences don’t mean that your student can’t excel in a standardized testing atmosphere—they just need the right support to show what they are capable of.

We are grateful to do what we can to support your student and build better learners for life.