Administrators and Teachers

Learning Disabilities Evaluation Referral Process for GED® Accommodations

Overview

Referral to ARS Form

Request for AALRC Funding for Learning Disabilities Evaluation Form

Not all individuals can be fairly tested under standard testing administrations of the GED® Test. In such cases, accommodations for testing may be arranged for students with any of the following documented disabilities:

  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • Learning or Other Cognitive Disabilities
  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)
  • Psychological and Psychiatric Disorders
  • Physical Disorders and Chronic Health Conditions

For students who are diagnosed with more than one type of disability, multiple request forms may be submitted to GED® Testing Service for approval.
If a student requires new or updated documentation of a learning disability, the AALRC Disabilities Project Manager can assist local programs in making an appropriate referral for diagnosis. There are several options available, and each case will be considered on an individual basis based on specific student information.
If the student HAS existing documentation of a learning disability that has been completed within the last five (5) years, the local program can request a copy of the documentation from the school or clinic that completed the diagnosis. The request must be made in writing using a Release of Confidential Information form printed on the program’s letterhead paper.
If the student has NO existing documentation of a learning disability, and if the student does not have a job or would like a better job, the local program should refer the student to the local Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) agency program to determine eligibility for services. The purpose of ARS is to help people with disabilities become employed and the LD diagnosis is part of their intake process. However, if the student has no desire to get a job, please do not refer them to ARS.
The Commissioner of ARS has authorized the referral of adult education and literacy students to ARS for diagnosis of learning disabilities. For students who are working towards getting their GED® diploma, the diagnosis will include the IQ and achievement testing required by the national GED® Testing Service in Washington DC to request accommodations for a learning disability.
Students who are referred to ARS MUST:

  • be unemployed and seeking employment or looking for a better job; and
  • indicate a possible learning disability as a result of a screening process at the local adult education or literacy center.

When the student is referred to ARS, they must take the following to their initial meeting with the ARS counselor:

With the form, include any completed screening information that indicates the possibility of a learning disability; e.g., TABE or GED Ready® scores, both with and without accommodations applied.

If the student DOES HAVE a job, and DOES HAVE financial resources to pay for diagnosis, then the program may assist the student in choosing a clinic or private psychologist to conduct the LD evaluation. The average cost of an LD diagnosis is $800-$2000. Many students who are employed will have insurance that covers all or most of this cost, but they may not be aware of that coverage prior to investigation. Local mental health councils will conduct LD diagnosis on a sliding scale, which may make it affordable for many students with limited financial resources.  Universities with graduate programs in clinical psychology may also provide LD diagnosis on a sliding scale. 
If the student DOES HAVE a job, but HAS NO financial resources to pay for diagnosis, the Arkansas Department of Career Education, Adult Education Division, has authorized a limited amount of funding for the AALRC to pay contracted clinics and psychologists to conduct the LD evaluations.  The AALRC has contracted with a number of psychological testing centers to provide LD evaluations for adult education and literacy students who are working towards a GED® and need to request accommodations on the GED® test for a specific learning disability. These contracts are only for students who have no existing, current diagnosis; no existing resources to pay for diagnosis; and whose goal is to get their GED® diploma.
The contracts are designed to facilitate the process of learning disabilities diagnosis for students who are undiagnosed, but at some point in the screening process, demonstrate a high probability of the existence of a learning disability. The contracts also allow students to obtain updated documentation of an out-of-date, previously diagnosed learning disability. Payment will be made by the Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center (AALRC) directly to the diagnostician.
If the student has insurance or any other resources that would pay for the testing, that student is not eligible for testing under this contractual arrangement. Only students who are NOT eligible for a referral to ARS and/or have no available resources will be eligible to have their testing paid by the AALRC. This agreement applies only to those students whose goal is to get a GED® diploma.  The Request for AALRC Funding form must be accompanied by a copy of page 1 of the ARS Referral form, which must state the reason the student is not eligible for ARS services.  That form must be signed/dated by someone at ARS.
 



To re-cap, if you have a student who may have a learning disability and needs to be referred for diagnosis, or if the student was previously diagnosed with a learning disability but their documentation is older than five years, and if that student’s goal is to get a GED® and has no existing resources to pay for a learning disabilities evaluation and is not eligible for an ARS referral, please complete the following steps:

Steps for Referrals for Evaluations Paid By the AALRC
  • First refer the student to ARS to determine eligibility for services. If the student is accepted as an ARS client, ARS will do the LD testing needed to request GED® testing accommodations.  Be sure the student takes the Referral to ARS form with them when they first meet with ARS.

If the student is not accepted as an ARS client, submit the completed page 1 of the Referral to ARS form documenting ineligibility to the AALRC Disabilities Project Manager at wendy@aalrc.org or fax it to Wendy Bryant at 501-907-2492.

  • For students who are not ARS clients, submit the completed Request for AALRC Funding form to the AALRC Disabilities Project Manager at wendy@aalrc.org or fax it to Wendy Bryant at 800-832-6242.  After it has been approved, the student must take the form to the psychological clinic on the date of their evaluation to provide documentation that the AALRC will pay for the testing.
  • Discuss the referral process with the student. Be sure the student understands what a learning disability is and why they are being referred for diagnosis.
  • Set an appointment with one of the psychological centers under contract with the AALRC for your student to complete the LD evaluation testing. Be sure the center knows the referred student is from your program and is working towards a GED® diploma.

 

Contracted Psychological Testing Centers 
for Learning Disabilities Evaluations

City

Test Center

Contact Info

Arkadelphia

Arkansas Counseling and Psychodiagnostics, Inc.

Dr. Charlie Weiner
870.230.8217
cweiner@acapcounseling.com  

Benton

Counseling Clinic, Inc.
307 E. Sevier
Benton, AR 72015

Jim Gregory
501.315.4224
jgregory@counselingclinicinc.org

Clarksville

Dody Pelts
Jones Learning Center
University of the Ozarks
415 N. College Ave.
Clarksville, AR  72830

Dody Pelts
479.979.1422      
dpelts@ozarks.edu

Conway

Conway Psychological Assessment Center
4206 Prince Street
Conway, AR 72034                          

Dr. Kim Dielmann 
501.932.0255 
dielmann@conwaypsychtesting.com

Jonesboro

NEA Neuropsychology, PLLC
  304 Southwest Square
  Jonesboro, Arkansas 72401

Dr. Kristin Addison-Brown
  870-203-6085
neaneuropsychology@att.net

Mena

Kimberly A. Parks

Kimberly A. Parks
kparks@cossatot.us

Pine Bluff

Cares Behavioral Services
1116 State Ave.
Pine Bluff, AR  71601

Dr. Patsy Clark-Pace
870.293.4478
caresbehavioral@yahoo.com

West Memphis

Angelyn Sherrod

Angelyn Sherrod
870.732.1878
kiayaphd@aol.com