request for special exam circumstances?

[Mamphy]

Hi I am in a similar situation where my son has sensory issues and also ASD. I work at the school my son is in and the head is happy to sign a letter if I describe the requirements he needs. I wondered if anyone has an example of a letter they used, as I don’t really know what to write. He has big issues with working out timings and the amount of questions. He really needs reminders as to when to move onto the writing task etc.
Any advice would be great.

[crazycrofter]

Hi I am in a similar situation where my son has sensory issues and also ASD. I work at the school my son is in and the head is happy to sign a letter if I describe the requirements he needs. I wondered if anyone has an example of a letter they used, as I don’t really know what to write. He has big issues with working out timings and the amount of questions. He really needs reminders as to when to move onto the writing task etc.
Any advice would be great.

He may not have too much of a problem with the 11 plus as the timings are all pretty much managed for them. For example, there will be an 8 minute section with say 30 questions on non verbal reasoning. At the end of the 8 minute section, the tape recording tells them to stop that section and turn the page. So they only have to work through short sections at a time. There's no chance he will get stuck on one section and not get to the other bits as the structure forces them to move on.

[kenyancowgirl]

Hi I am in a similar situation where my son has sensory issues and also ASD. I work at the school my son is in and the head is happy to sign a letter if I describe the requirements he needs. I wondered if anyone has an example of a letter they used, as I don’t really know what to write. He has big issues with working out timings and the amount of questions. He really needs reminders as to when to move onto the writing task etc.
Any advice would be great.

Certainly for gcse/A level exams, a letter written by you the parent would not be acceptable at all. The SENCO at the school should be the one to write any letter based on their own testing and the subsequent “normal way of working” procedures put in place. Sometimes Consultants or Ed Psychs write letters but the SENCO and exams officer would make the application. I would be very cross if any LA 11+ department accepted a letter written by someone working in a school who is the parent to the child, signed by the head. That is massively open to abuse I’m afraid...

However, it sounds purely as if your son requires a prompt. A prompt merely touches the desk or their arm, or stands next to them when they need to move on or focus.

[solimum]

A prompt merely touches the desk or their arm, or stands next to them when they need to move on or focus.

I could do with one of those! Especially when getting distracted from my final OU module by checking forums, solitaire, facebook etc...

[halsea]

Trident I suffer from visual and auditory vertigo when stressed and thought it was normal until my degree. My Dr at the time had the same thing and so for my finals I was allowed to sit on my own and do my exams. I've never really thought about being on the spectrum, I presumed it was because I am partially deaf that I didn't want the 'stress' of zoning extra sounds out. But now that I have a daughter who has issues with seams/cuffs on clothing and noise around here and she has perfect hearing it has started to make me wonder.

Sound is painful for me and makes me feel very agitated if people are e.g. tapping etc and so if your daughter is the same, she really needs that separate space to be able to perform at her best. No one would be asked to write with a broken hand?

I can reassure you that it hasn't been a major problem for me in life, apart from when I trained to be a teacher, that is just too overwhelming and probably wasn't the wisest decision. x

[Mamphy]

It’s more the English and writing I’m worried about, as a child in my class last year didn’t get told to move on and he completely missed the writing section.

[crazycrofter]

[quote="Mamphy"]It’s more the English and writing I’m worried about, as a child in my class last year didn’t get told to move on and he completely missed the writing section.[/quote

There isn’t a writing section in the 11 plus. Are you confusing it with the independent school exams? It’s all multiple choice, short sections.