Accommodations

• Any student and their family requesting accommodations need to follow the “Student Support Plan.”  

• Families who submit educational testing without speaking to a member of the Student Centered Support team will be asked to enter the below plan starting with Step 1. 

• The creation of a Student Support Plan will then be initiated and the student will move through the process as outlined. 

• The school will not immediately implement accommodations without first working with the Learning Specialist and Student Support Team to  implement the above-outlined steps.

STUDENT SUPPORT PLAN STEPS

1. Student is identified by a teacher, advisor, administrator, counselor, coach, nurse, parent/guardian, or self referred.

2. A support team will be initiated and may include the Learning Specialist, School Counselor, administrator, teachers and/or advisor.

3. The team will meet and gather information about the student’s work through assessments, observations, and possibly through additional screenings.  The team will meet with parents and students during regular check-ins.

4. The team will implement and monitor specific strategies for the student, teacher, and parent/guardian to implement in school and/or at home.

5. The team will continue to meet and discuss the student’s progress and to determine if further information or adjustments to the plan is needed.

6. If necessary, the team may recommend supports outside of the School such as, but not limited to neuropsychological testing, physician referral, counseling/therapy, coaching, and short or long-term remediation.

7. The team will observe and review the student’s progress and support for three consecutive trimesters and may suggest adjustments to the plan.

Academic Accommodations Offered

Holton-Arms may provide the following accommodations on the basis of diagnostic evaluation and recommendations:

• 50% extended time on all assessments in school

• Marking answers directly on a test paper

• Use of a computer for assessments

• Preferential seating in class

• Note-taking support

• Multi-day testing

• Small group for exams

• Use of a calculator

Process for Neuropsychological Testing

The process for pursuing neuropsychological testing:

• Learning Specialist will work with families to recommend clinical psychologists (diagnosticians) who conduct neuropsychological evaluations.

• Once a family has identified a diagnostician, parents/guardians will sign a waiver for the School and the diagnostician to discuss information.

• Learning Specialist will gather information from teachers to be shared with a diagnostician during the assessment process.

• Parents/guardians will provide a copy of the final testing report for the student’s Holton file.

• Learning Specialist will summarize the report.  If appropriate, an Individual Learning Profile (ILP) will be created, which will include the student’s areas of strength, challenge, recommendations to teachers, and accommodations.

• Learning Specialist will meet with parents/guardians and students to discuss test results and review ILP.

• Learning Specialist will provide access to the ILP to the student's current teachers and administrators.

Anxiety Diagnosis with Neuropsychological Testing:

1. If a student’s testing report suggests a need for academic accommodations at Holton, the family must submit a full neuropsychological report to the Learning Specialist.

2. The Learning Specialist and School Counselor will schedule a meeting with the family to discuss academic accommodations and mental health support. Holton-Arms reserves the right to independently determine which accommodations are necessary for the student.  

3. If Holton-Arms plans to implement academic accommodations based on the recommendations of the report, the Learning Specialist will create an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), which will be shared with the student’s teachers.  Additionally, families may be asked to seek the recommended support listed in the neuropsychological report, which may include engaging in therapy and/or psychiatric support.  The School Counselor/Learning Specialist may assist families in finding appropriate therapists or psychiatrists if needed.

   1. If Holton-Arms is to provide academic accommodations, a parent/guardian will be asked to sign a release form giving the Learning Specialist and School Counselor permission to speak with any and all outside support professionals.

   2. The School Counselor/Learning Specialist will check in periodically with the outside support professionals to ensure continuity of care and the ongoing need for academic accommodations.

4. If the student needs temporary interventions in addition to what is outlined in the student’s ILP, the Support Team, which may include the School Counselor, Learning Specialist, Division Director and Grade Dean, will meet with the student and family to create an Intervention Plan for the student. The plan may include, but is not limited to, recommendations and/or accommodations from the outside support professionals. The Support Team will determine which accommodations may or may not be provided at school and also outline a specific time frame for the accommodations and Intervention Plan.

Anxiety Diagnosis without Neuropsychological Testing

1. A parent/guardian may submit a letter from a qualified medical professional (licensed clinical social worker, psychiatrist, psychologist) stating the student’s diagnosis and requested accommodations.

2. The School Counselor and/or Learning Specialist will secure a release from the parent/guardian to speak to the qualified medical professional and may seek additional information.

3. The Support Team, which may include the School Counselor, Learning Specialist, Division Director and Grade Dean, will meet with the student and family to create an Intervention Plan for the student. The plan may include, but is not limited to, recommendations and/or accommodations from the outside support professionals. The Support Team will determine which accommodations may or may not be provided at school and also outline a specific time frame for the accommodations and Intervention Plan.

4. The School Counselor/Learning Specialist will check in periodically with the outside support professionals to ensure continuity of care and the ongoing need for academic accommodations.

5. Accommodations will be provided as long as psychotherapeutic supports are in place.  In some circumstances and after the Intervention Plan has been in place for a specific period of time, the school may ask families to pursue neuropsychological testing.  

No Official Anxiety Diagnosis:

• A student may self-refer or be referred to a member of the Support Team by a Holton faculty member, or parent for academic or social-emotional concerns.

• The School Counselor will meet with the student for an initial assessment of the situation. Follow-up meetings with the student, parents, Learning Specialist, Division Director, Grade Dean, or any other school professional may be required to gather more information and track student progress.  

• The Support Team will meet with the student and family to create an Intervention Plan for the student, which may allow for trial accommodations or short-term modifications.  The team will also outline a specific time frame for the trial accommodations and plan.

• If trial accommodations are implemented, families will be required to seek support from a qualified medical professional.  The School Counselor and/or Learning Specialist will secure a release from the parent/guardian to speak to the outside professional.  

• The School Counselor may assist families in finding appropriate therapists if needed.

• The School Counselor/Learning Specialist will check in periodically with the outside support professionals to ensure continuity of care and assess whether the trial accommodations should continue and/or if further recommendations need to be made.

  • In some circumstances and after the Intervention Plan has been in place for a specific period of time, the school may ask families to pursue neuropsychological testing.