We hit a couple of hot buttons tonight at the dinner table: 1) The infernal need for speed in standardized testing, and 2) the tortures of testing for students with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Today, son Fickle Fan completed Day One of his final shot at the Algebra End-of-Course Assessment (passing is required for an Indiana general diploma), and for the first time he's using a common test-taking strategy devised by his tutor to help him answer more questions. So that's what brought the subject up for discussion, but, as you can imagine, it's my OCD-Aspie Daughter Dearest that has A LOT to say about the issue.
DD despises timed testing. She believes--and I completely agree with her--that speed testing on math and science tests is a completely male-initiated venture. We not-so-fondly recalled her 2nd grade timed multiplication tests. Students were not allowed to move on to other areas of math until they could flawlessly pass the timed test--30 problems in 3 minutes. That gave her 6 seconds per problem. Each time she would attempt the test, she would come home with half the problems completed--they were all correct, of course, but nevertheless, she was not permitted to learn any new material. After buckets of tears, I decided the test was ridiculous. Knowing that the teacher was giving out the very same copy of the test each time, I had DD memorize the 30 answers. Next time she took the test, she just wrote down all the answers. Problem solved. Temporarily.
This was five years before I realized that she had OCD. And 13 years before we began to suspect that Asperger's was also an issue. Long story short, we now know that DD is incredibly intelligent and excels at math--but NOT if she's working under the pressure of a clock. She has a much slower processing time than most people who also have her IQ.
At dinner tonight her voice rose--it always does when she's passionate about an issue--when she described her frustration at standardized math and science tests, including her AP tests and the ACT. (She did very well on her ACT test, by the way; not so well on her chemistry AP.) "I knew all the answers, Mom. I just couldn't ever get all the problems finished."
She went on to describe the agonies she goes through each time she reviews her answer sheet to detect patterns on the page, too many D answers in a row?, not enough As? "So then I'm sure I must've done something wrong, and I go through the test wondering where I messed up."
And then there's the issue of filling in the answer bubbles. Is the oval filled in perfectly? Maybe I've filled it in too dark. I should erase that one and make it look better. That one is filled in uniformly. I need to fix that one too. Yikes!
It's painfully apparent now that DD should've had accommodations for extra time on tests and should have been coached in testing strategies to put her mind at ease. At the time, we had no idea. She was bright and wasn't the squeaky wheel in the family. Moreover, I don't know that she would have accepted accommodations then. She would have bristled at the very suggestion that she be treated any differently or be given any special consideration. (She confirms this.) Now, though, she understands the connection between her "issues" and her anxiety in a classroom and in testing situations, and that the accommodations are a must-have.
If you're a parent of a student with a higher functioning autism spectrum disorder and/or OCD, be sure that your case conference team is listing accommodations needed for standardized testing.
Also note that if your child received extended time for testing at school and both the disability and need for accommodations is documented by the school, your student may be able to use those accommodations during the ACT. Here's the ACT accommodations link for more information. The SAT also accepts accommodated testing for eligible students, but your student must first apply to the College Board. Talk to your guidance counselor about application requirements and procedures. Once a student is found eligible for accommodations on one of the College Board's tests, she/he does not need to apply for a second time. So if your student receives accommodations for the PSAT/NMSQT, he/she will still be eligible when it comes time to take the SAT. Here's the College Board's link to information on SAT accommodations.
I'm prone to stream-of-consciousness venting and to-do lists. I think this is a pretty common quirky behavior, as quirky behaviors go, at least in my age group. I've recently discovered, though, that my out-loud ramblings on all-things-undone or life's daily frustrations just drives my daughter up the wallpaper. Like fingernails on a chalkboard. Don't get me wrong, annoying my children is one of my specialties, but I had no idea this was such a major issue for her. I suspect it's part of her OCD.
The "air to-do list" (similar to air guitar?) goes something like this: "Oh, lord, I've got to call the furnace guy today," or "Bills, bills, bills..puhleeeze let me remember to put stamps on those buggers and stop at the post office tomorrow morning before work." This is, of course, said to no one in particular. I guess I just think that by saying it out loud it might actually get accomplished. Last year, however, I discovered that by vocalizing my things-to-do, DD is driven to the boil-over frustration point, because, it turns out, she's always believed that she is then responsible for making whatever it is happen--abracadabra!-- even if it's entirely out of her control.
Once I realized what was happening, I explained it all to my husband who admits that he too gets frustrated by my air list. He's always thought I expected him to solve my problems or tackle my tasks when I'm listing aloud! Good grief!! No wonder he's rolling his eyes on a regular basis. Thirty years of miscommunication! So now I feel a little stifled. Guess I'll resort to mumbling or wearing one of those listpads and a pencil strung around my neck (and please don't suggest I get an iPod--like my daughter, I'm technically Amish).
You can't see it, but my husband and I are doing little celebratory dances this week. Actually, it's probably good that you can't see it. Neither of us can dance. Fun for us, maybe, but not a pretty sight.
Why the celebration cha-cha? Yes, Michigan State just whomped Michigan--always a good thing in our book-- but the real reason we're dancing is that Daughter Dearest (DD) is making progress. Or maybe Progress, with a capital P. DD, who's 20, got her first job three weeks ago at Kohl's. She worked three days this week, is keeping up with her Algebra class, AND today she volunteered with the Kohl's crew at a local therapeutic equestrian center for an annual event. Not so unusual for most 20 year olds, maybe, but for DD this was noteworthy. More than noteworthy. Celebration cha-cha worthy!
Last post, I explained DD's battles with both OCD and Asperger's. The last couple of years have been doozies. She crashed and burned her first semester of college. Came back, tried taking classes locally at community college, but struggled there too. Began applying for jobs, but never got past the first interview anywhere. She spent a year in therapy and her physician tweaked her meds, to address symptoms of depression and her extreme lack of focus and motivation. But for the most part, we were going nowhere fast.
So here's the ta-da! part: This past summer we had a counselor, well-versed in autism, do an educational evaluation for DD, not only to rule out Asperger's, but also to learn more about her strengths and challenges. It was an eye-opener. We knew she was bright, but her counselor revealed that her IQ is actually very high. Despite her struggles with basic college Algebra, DD scores off-the-charts in computational math. Somewhat less so, but still high, in applied math. Her organization (executive function) and lifeskills, however, are way below normal, and she has extremely high anxieties and low self-esteem. DD would stop attending courses if she felt she was not doing something right or if she hadn't completed the homework or studied for a test. She was guilt ridden and stuck.
The counselor confirmed that, though it's a tough call because she's on the fence in a lot of areas, DD is on the Asperger's end of the autism spectrum. We always knew she had traits, but girls with Asperger's present so differently from boys, that we just didn't see the ASD. We considered her quirky. Her OCD was our biggest concern. The counselor also helped DD understand that obtaining disability services and supports would be key to her success in school, since she would need tutoring, extra time in exams and understanding from her professors.
So that's helped. This semester has been one of trying out the supports to see if they can help DD not only stick with it, but shine. She's gotten an A on the first test. Mid-terms are next week. We'll see.
Meanwhile, we've also been working since the beginning of the year with Indiana VR. In the spring, she began working with a local agency providing employment services. They interviewed her, tweaked her resume, and then had her fill out applications. They even took her to job sites to submit the applications--something DD was always loathe to do. Kohl's hired her last month. So amazing. And thank you, Kohl's, for encouraging your employees to volunteer in their communities. We'd been trying to get DD out to volunteer for the past year. It's a good thing to do, it bolsters the resume, and it helps people make connections with one another.
Okay, enough already. We know that sometimes it'll be two steps forward and one back, but right now good things are happening. Do the cha-cha!
Okay last time I tried this, Google Chrome crashed on me as I was half-way through my post. Not a good sign. We'll see what happens today.
Since we were practice blogging (thank you, Arc of Indiana), I threw my first post up there to see if it would stick, so to speak. I jumped right in, though, without introducing you to the cast of characters. Rude of me. So here we are:
Anne: That's me. Occasional writer, part-time employee, wife, mother of two. Procrastinator extraordinaire. Eric: My husband. Vice president of human resources at a hospital one state over. Quirky sense of humor. Tigers, lions, Spartans. Yes, we are and will always be Michiganders at heart. Daughter Dearest: Our oldest. Part-time college student. Part-time brand new employee. Constantly battling OCD. Now learning to accept that she has Asperger's as well. Passionate about fantasy fiction, online escape games, anything with dragons. And Glee, of course. Fickle Fan: Our son. A senior in high school. Diagnosed with high functioning autism at 3 1/2. Passionate about football (but his loyalties tend to shift to whoever's in the lead--thus the name), Top Chef, movies, plays. Passionately hates school. Bullet: Cat in residence. She adopted us six years ago. I know: The name is weird, but she brought it with her. What can you do?
I have a few ground rules. I don't feel comfortable talking about my children unless I have their permission. I did ask; I do have permission. BUT, I'm not allowed to post their photos (so Fickle Fan's picture, in my first post, needs to come down). Darn. That limits my ability to decorate my space here, but I'll do what I can.
It isn't my intent to embarrass my children (although I'm good at that!). Rather, we're sharing what we're going through so that we can learn and other families might learn from our experiences, good and bad.
Okay, Chrome has already crashed again. So I may need to post this prematurely, just to get this up there, and then figure out what the problem is. Aaaaargh!
For the most part "Two in Transition" will focus on how we as a family are facing the opportunities, frustrations, transformations and unknowns of the transition process. Transition is the fine art of helping students with disabilities move from high school to the world of work, community participation, and postsecondary education or training. It includes special needs trusts, guardianship, college planning, student support, driver's ed, dances, relationships, housing, employment, and more.
Like an increasing number of families who have children on the autism spectrum, we live life in two states. We struggled mightily in downstate Illinois to support Fickle Fan, but there was a painful lack of services, educational training and understanding, medical support, and community acceptance. Sorry, Illinois, it's the truth. Eventually, in order to provide Fickle Fan with a better future, we decided it would be necessary to leave the state. My husband, however, has a good job, with a good retirement plan and works with a team he likes. Rather than yank that stability rug out from under us, we opted for the two-state solution: My children and I live in Indiana; my husband continues to live in downstate Illinois. For the most part he comes here on weekends; when he's on call or for special events, we'll go back there for weekends. Yep, it's a little strange, but it actually works. We're now in our fifth year of this arrangement, and I think it was a good decision on our part.
So, that's the status. Next time, I'll give you the scoop on Daughter Dearest. And, as always...
