I got a glimpse of the California Achievement Tests that Samuel will take and am much encouraged. The concepts tested seem to be well within his grasp. I've also learned that several federal laws provide for giving a special needs student "reasonable accommodation" to take the test.
Among other things, I've worried that his difficulty with fine motor skills would make it next to impossible for him to fill in those little ovals used to mark answers on standardized tests. It's reasonable to have an adult fill in the answer Samuel indicates.
We've been working on reading comprehension, and I've noticed that some days he's much more on task than others. One day, I can ask Samuel questions about what he reading (or what I'm reading to him) and he answers with ease. Other days he acts like he hasn't seen or heard a word -- but I'll later hear him talking about the story and he'll easily pick it up on another day.
While taking the tests within the given time should be OK for most subjects, it seems reasonable to delay the comprehension test if he's "off" on that particular day. Giving extra time is a common accommodation for special needs students.
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