This issue is far from hypothetical at community colleges. While I am
suspicious of the methods used to determine whether a student has "special
needs", a number of my students are so labeled. I have written letters of
recommendation for them without mentioning their special treatment or
special needs. My rationale for this is that I do not feel extra time or
whatever help they get really makes all that much difference. To put it more
bluntly, my regular students who do poorly would do poorly if I gave them 15
hours to complete the exam and provided them with a reader in a soundproof
room and wafted fragrant herbs and incense through the vents. Those who do
well almost never need the whole class period to do the exam. The special
needs students may feel less pressured or more secure with the extra help,
but I doubt that there is a direct causal relationship between the help and
the grade.
One final point. It might not even be legal to describe these students as
special needs unless they choose to do so.
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