College Accommodations
Do you need an updated psychoeducational evaluation for college accommodations or professional exam accommodations (e.g., ACT, SAT, LSAT, MCAT, GRE)? If so, Dr. Andersen routinely performs these evaluations.
College Accommodations
Do you remember those accommodations you received in high school? If they were via an Individualized Education Program (IEP), then those services were provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). However, colleges do not abide by IDEA. Rather, colleges must follow federal civil rights laws (e.g., Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act [ADA]). So while you are not able to receive specialized instruction from a special education teacher in college, you may still be able to receive many of the accommodations/modifications that you did in high school (e.g., extended time on tests, testing in a separate environment, etc.).
It is almost important to realize the amount of self-advocacy work you must do as a college student. In high school, those that qualified for an IEP had a case manager. The case manager wrote your IEP documentation and they were responsible for the implementation, documentation, and follow-through of your IEP. However, in college, since there are no IEPs and no case managers, students must advocate for themselves. That starts at identifying yourself to the disability services office. You are responsible for contacting them and providing the required documentation. Moreover, you may also be responsible for approaching the professors and reminding them of your accommodations/modifications. Furthermore, in high school parents were often the educational decision making (EDM; until you turned age of majority). Therefore, they often advocated on your behalf. But in college, parents so not have access to your records (at least without your consent) and the student is responsible for themselves.
You are also responsible for providing documentation. The required documentation varies depending on your disability and the institution. However, most colleges in Arizona require documentation of your disability by a trained/qualified professional. That is, you will want to provide documentation of any prior evaluations (METs) and IEPs. You can find documentation requirements for community college within the Maricopa County Community College District here. Some colleges may also impose a requirement that the documentation/evaluation must have occurred within a specific timeframe. It is also important to note that while Dr. Andersen can make recommendations for college accommodations, it is ultimately up to the school's disability resource department to make the determination.
Professional Exam Accommodations
Dr. Andersen also performs evaluations for individuals seeking accommodations for their professional exam (e.g., ACT, SAT, LSAT, MCAT, GRE). Similar to college accommodations, one must check with their specific exam to determine what type of accommodations are allowed and have to go about documenting your disability and the need for accommodations. It should be noted that professional exams typically require normative impairments in a certain areas in order to receive accommodations. Normative impairments are typically defined as at least one standard deviation below the mean or scores that are <16th percentile. Therefore, a really high achiever taking the LSAT may not receive extended time accommodations if their weakness is only intra-individual (i.e., a weakness for themselves but not a deficit when compared to the general population). It is also important to note that while Dr. Andersen can make recommendations for professional exam accommodations, it is ultimately up to the Director of Accommodations Review to make the determination. Appeals may also be considered.