nts makes a person feel conspicuous, especially if the student is nervous and self-conscious anyway (Sireci 5). Some students do better without the time pressure, but how can that be provided without making the challenged student stand out like a sore thumb? Should there be a special testing session for all the learning-challenged students?
There is uncertainty also about the fairness of marking the learning disabled students' test scores as a flag for college admissions people who make the decisions about whether or not a student can be admitted (Sireci 5). Some say that that practice gives the student a fair advantage, but on the other hand, it may indicate that something is wrong with the student's ability, opening the door for discrimination or the belief that the test score is not valid because it was taken under special conditions. Different people in the field of education seem to have conflicting opinions about whether or not it is advisable to let college admissions counselors know whether or not there were special arrangements made for the SAT testing.
The companies who test for SAT do their best to be fair. Students with learning disabilities are given up to 50 percent more time to complete the tests and the student can ask for a large type test book, making it somewhat easier for the challenged student (SAT Services 1). If the student makes the arrangements ahead of time, one can ask for a test in Braille or on cassette, with large-block answer sheets, or to have an assistant there who will read or use sign language (SAT Services 1). The student can ask for a magnifying device. Tests with those special accommodations can be taken in the school counselor's office.
One of the difficulties with these accommodations by the testing companies is that there is a lot of complicated paperwork involved. The student has to show that there is, in fact, a documented learning disability and that the student is receivin...