Fallout From Admissions Scandal May Hurt Kids Who Have Disabilities
Part of the college admissions scandal involved faking learning disabilities to get accommodations on standardized tests. This hurts the people who need those accommodations to be successful.
By Adrienne Wichard-Edds
Reaction to Tuesday’s indictment of 50 people in an alleged college admissions scam, including 33 parents who allegedly used their wealth to get their children into elite universities, was swift and fierce. Critics noted that the story reeks of privilege, overparenting and a hypercompetitive academic culture. One aspect of the news particularly riled disability-rights advocates and parents of children with special needs: One of the ways these parents allegedly gamed the system to benefit their children involved faking learning disabilities to get accommodations on standardized college admissions tests.
For children who really do struggle with learning and other disabilities, taking those high-pressure tests is challenging. Those accommodations, which can include extra time to complete the exam, are there to create fairness for students who encounter daily challenges in their education. Parents work overtime fighting to secure these…
