Exam Day
Reassurance
EDUCATION
space . But a room with 10 students is far more preferable than a large room with 100 +. Often , these alternative rooms are classrooms set up for an exam , which means they may have larger desks that pupils are used to working on . Overall , the environment is much more familiar and , therefore , less stressful at a time when pupils need to stay calm .
If you think that this would help your child , you should speak to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator ( SENCO ) at your child ’ s school , as they arrange the concessions .
5 .
Exam Day
On the day itself , it ’ s important to stay as close to the routine as possible . The main aim should be to cause the least amount of stress as possible . Make sure your child arrives to school on time and with everything he / she needs .
If you have a teenager , you may think he / she is old enough to manage bringing all needed school supplies without you having to double-check .
On the one hand , I agree . As children with autism grow older , it ’ s important they gradually take on more responsibility in looking after themselves . If they don ’ t , they may never learn . They are unlikely to ‘ pick up ’ these things without being clearly taught them , and they will need parents to help them with new responsibilities at first . Eventually , however , they will become more independent .
But on that exam day , when your child needs to have a pen that works or a compass , then make sure he / she has it . You ’ ll feel calmer knowing your child definitely has everything that ’ s needed . It could also prevent a full-on meltdown if something has been forgotten . Remember , if it ’ s an external exam like the GCSE and your child has a meltdown minutes before because he / she has forgotten a pencil case , then the child will not be given another time to complete it or a delay . Instead , he / she will likely be ushered into the exam room and given the paper . It is very unlikely that your child will put forth his / her best effort if still recovering from the after-effects of a meltdown .
6 .
Reassurance
While this is last on my list , I still think it is extremely important . Many children and teenagers with autism have very low self-esteem and confidence .
One thing they need from their loved ones is reassurance . They want to know that , while you want them to do well , you will be happy with their best effort .
I was lucky in this respect . When I was little , my mum always told me , “ All I want is for you to do your best . If you can come home and honestly tell me that you did your best , then that ’ s good enough for me .”
These words stuck with me , and I use them in my own classroom to encourage children to give it a go . I want every child to do well and to aim high , but not every child will get top grades . It is important your child knows if he / she gives his / her very best , then that ’ s the best that can be done .
Kirsty Maher , BA , PGDip , SEN , is a SEN teacher in the UK who also has Asperger ’ s syndrome and blogs about her experiences . Blog
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30 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 65