Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Scrutiny on college admissions process may make it tougher for students with learning disabilities

    On Wednesday, three more parents pleaded guilty in the college admissions cheating scandal. So we look into one aspect of how it happened: wealthy parents gamed the system to get a learning disability diagnosis for their kids.

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • May 23, 2019 • 1 min read

    On Wednesday, three more parents pleaded guilty in the college admissions cheating scandal. So we look into one aspect of how it happened: wealthy parents gamed the system to get a learning disability diagnosis for their kids. That allows students to take more time on standardized tests. Most kids who get these diagnoses have legitimate learning disabilities like dyslexia or ADHD. But it’s easier for well-off and well-connected parents to navigate the process to get a diagnosis, even when it is a legitimate one. Now because of the fallout from the admissions scandal, some disability rights advocates fear there will be negative fallout for the kids who need extra help.

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sarah Sweeney

      Vice President of Talk Programming, KCRW

    • KCRW placeholder

      Michell Eloy

      Line Editor, Press Play

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Yael Even Or

      Producer, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      Lindsay Jones

      National Center for Learning Disability

    • KCRW placeholder

      Aditi Juneja

      lawyer, writer, and activist

      NewsEducationLos Angeles
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand