ASD & GCSE's

[richabernethy]

We are at our wits end trying to get DS 16 and in Year 11 to revise for GCSE'S - there are six weeks to go and it is just so frustrating as he endlessly procrastinates and has a very short attention span. He is not the geeky, mathsy sort of ASD child, all academics are a real struggle for him. Is anyone else in this situation? It is so depressing as his mock results were diabolical and his choices for post GCSE look so limited.

[richabernethy]

Thanks zzz, actually that is the only thing I have had some
success with, talking through the set texts for English Lit and looking at past papers during the holidays some progress has been made. It's just that he has to have 1-1 or nothing gets done and it is all so frustrating.

[Ineedmorepatience]

I agree with zzzzz he isnt going to do this by himself, you said yourself he needs 1:1, can you take turns to work with him. Do short bursts, have lots of breaks and tackle one subject at a time. Maybe you could start with some kind of planning meeting where you decide who is helping with what and make a revision timetable with a couple of subjects per day.

Oh and remember most college courses for 6th form dont require that many passes, he could probably do with getting maths and english but some level 2 courses dont even need that, they do it again as part of the course! Its not the end of the world if he doesnt get loads of gcse's. Although schools make out it is!

Good luck

[richabernethy]

Thanks, the trouble is that that is exactly what we are trying to do while trying to deal with work ourselves but this morning I have spent all morning trying to coax him out of bed and get started to no avail he's had breakfast but the dining table still awaits his presence. Grrr!

[wigglybeezer]

My oldest is like your boy, we ended up having to work one to one on two main subjects as DS2 had an unfortunately timed serious accident and was in hospital 50 miles away for three weeks with one of us sleeping over ( he is ASD too). Ds1 managed a B for English but in an unprecedented exam paper mix up one of his biology papers was lost and his mark had to be based on his mock result a D. We were aiming for 4 A-C passes but he ended up with 2 which has caused issues as there is less choice of college courses in Scotland as schools are all 12-18 ( no BTEC's available in school either). With limited time I would concentrate on the most important subjects rather than covering everything.
DS2 starts in 3 weeks ! But he can sit still and study thank goodness.

[richabernethy]

Oh wiggly, that sounds horrendous. Your outcome is what I fear for DS as the opportunities are just so limited without 4-5 A- C's. He has passed English Language already so has one under his belt but got D's and worse in his mocks. He knows that he needs maths and is working on maths past papers but he was just short of the C in his mocks. Fun times, but we are getting so close and he has no sense of urgency (or actually he is panicking inwardly and his knee jerk reaction is not to try at all)

[noblegiraffe]

This website of maths videos is excellent mathswebsite.com (the creator was nominated for international teacher of the year).

Corbettmaths 5-a-day is also excellent and has video solutions. corbettmaths.com/5-a-day/gcse1/

But you need to emphasise to him that to revise maths he needs to be doing the questions in the videos too, not just watching someone else do them!

[richabernethy]

Thanks noblegiraffe, he's been doing maths by working through papers with his dad and he has a maths tutor so if we can just keep him at it there's some chance with maths.
He is avoiding the subjects with a lot of learning content like geography and it's just disheartening to be beginning to feel that time is running out.
College has already said he won't be able to do the GCSE resit course as he's passed his English Language!

[wigglybeezer]

OP, I.certainly gained a few grey hairs! Plan B is to join the navy ( never formally diagnosed ) so I am back helping with aptitude test revision, he is 2 years older and a little more compliant but still demanding 1 to 1 help!

[richabernethy]

During these holidays we were hoping for at least 2 hours a day but I doubt he has managed that. He is finally working on a past paper this afternoon but it just takes so long to get him started. We have been trying to draw up revision timetables with him for weeks. He has so much support available to him but he just becomes angry when we try to gently and positively encourage him to work . I keep telling him it's his future but of course it is all of our futures as a family.

[richabernethy]

Good luck Wiggly! DH did say the other day that he was tempted to send DS off to the army but they wouldn't want him and it certainly isn't anything he would even remotely consider.

[wigglybeezer]

I think they should issue medals to parents for every exam pass that SEN kids pass, we earn them. I have to let DS1 yodel, throw and catch stuff, hang upside down off the sofa, take thousands of snack and toilet breaks, yet still remain calm and not loose the thread. I have even bribed with chocolate buttons! DS1 is nearly 18...

[Teawaster]

Oh yes, I have one of those only he's nearly 15 and in year 10. So doing some units for science and geography this year. I have to do 1 : 1 with him always so that he gets things done as he finds it difficult to organise himself . We were doing OK in that he would do some revision most days but the. He has started to have revision classes after school and is wiped out afterwards , very reluctant to do anymore and in fact unable to do more as he doesn't have the concentration span . Am dreading next year. I am always being told that he works so so hard at school so feel guilty about pushing him at home but I am just desperate for him to get c's and for English and maths to be in there. He has chosen practical subjects apart from English , one maths, science and geography so that he can focus on those.
We are doing past papers over and over and I second Corbettmaths also. I fear DS will hate me at the end of it all. Not much help but I do sympathise

[Ineedmorepatience]

Can you try working in the late afternoon/evening! [Only in the holidays and weekends though] School are probably only doing revision now anyway.

Dd3 is only 13 but is home ed, she is learning autonomously and does nearly all of her learning in the evening! We do other stuff in the day and then she comes in and seems to be really switched on to learn.

And I agree with finding motivators! We all have a currency and want to work towards something! Just an exam result was never enough for me and I dont expect it is for millions of other teenagers!

Good luck

[EllenJanethickerknickers]

DS2 is 16 with ASD and he finds revision really difficult. I get him to use a huge variety of styles to keep his attention and he's been doing three 20 minute sessions a day over the holidays and weekends and two 20 minute sessions on school days. Reading revision guides, using BBC bitesize, watching Mr Bruff you tube videos for English, doing past papers etc. So little and not very often! He has a revision timetable for each day with the 2 or three subjects on. Any more than 3 sessions a day is counterproductive for him as he gets upset and anxious with any longer.

He is good at maths but struggles with all of the written subjects. I'm most worried about English as he needs at least a D to get on his college course and would have to retake it in his first year, so hoping for a C.

Good luck OP and your DS.

[richabernethy]

Ellenjane , you seem to be in the same boat, I thought there might be more of us around. The Year 11 thread in Secondary Ed is depressing reading with the talk of strings of A*'s and prom dresses. (DS has refused point blank to even consider going to his prom)

[EllenJanethickerknickers]

DS2 will go to his prom, but I don't think he'll 'enjoy' it exactly as he doesn't interact with the other pupils at all. He just wants to wear a school shirt as well. Sigh.

There was a long running thread 5 years ago in SN about their transition to secondary school. I do wonder if any of those posters are still around. I post very rarely in SN these days as I'm too busy with work. (Term time school job.)

We'll have to post something on SN on results day to celebrate/commiserate.

[BigHairySpider]

Ds wants to do well in his GCSE'S and eventually go to uni but he won't revise at home. He also has PDA traits so the more demands that are made the less he will do. He is however getting anxious that he won't get the results he needs so it's very difficult to manage. Good luck and strength to everyone. I just want the exams to be over now.

[EllenJanethickerknickers]

Perhaps we should turn this thread into an SN support thread for Y11, a bit more fine tuned to our needs than the general one in secondary ed?

How can you word encouragement to revise with PDA? Just making a statement about 'revision helps people to get better grades, enough to give to give them more choices at sixth form and beyond.' Or 'following a timetable makes revision less daunting.' Or can you ask him questions? 'Do you find doing lots of little revision sessions better than one long one?' Or is it better to make general statements, 'some people find... ' Etc?